My Happily Ever After
by Shadow Dancer666
Summary: CloudxReno Mpreg, nudity, violence, cursing, lemon; Reno had a secret relationship with Cloud, but Hojo's determined, insane successors exploit this to bring about the end of the world. Reno also finds the secrets about himself & those that he holds dear
1. Initium

**My Happily Ever After**

**Pairing: CloudxReno, some RenoxCloud**

**Rating: M for lemon, swearing, gore, and intense situation. BEWARE: this is an mpreg.  
**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VII**

**Chapter One: Initium**

I don't understand. I mean, Cloud is like, y'know, the sworn enemies of the Turk. But it was that day when Hojo was gonna fuck up the crater with the Junon laser cannon, that something messed up happened. Cloud refused to fight us, and I let him get Hojo.

Everything started that day. I couldn't get him out of my damn mind, but, of course, I tried to deny it. After all, he was way out of my league and in so many ways. I couldn't think of a reason for him to even give me, his enemy, a second look. There was only one moment when their eyes had contact and who was I to deny those beautiful blues. He looked so weary yet determined and I felt something tighten in my chest. I couldn't fight him when he looked at me like that, and so I stepped back and let him past.

After the Meteor incident, I kept in touch with Cloud and the rest of the gang, but Rufus and us Turk were still a little sore about Cloud having mercy on us. It's not like I wanted to lust after Cloud, but when has my body ever listened? I couldn't tell you.

Then Sephiroth came back. Like, shit, can't he stay dead? Actually seeing Cloud again caused my flame of desire to ignite, and finally, on the New Year's after Sephiroth's second defeat, I couldn't deny my desire any more and I was kind of pleased when I found out that neither could he.

Behind Tifa's bar, me an' Cloud shared the New Year's kiss and the next morning found us exhausted in one another's arms under the covers at a cheap hotel. For the next year, Cloud fucked me anytime I came over and I fucked him any time he came over. Damn, I don't think we're in a _relationship_ or anything, but looking back on the last year, I can honestly say that I've been happy.

"Mmm, whatcha thinking, Reno?" Cloud asked as he nuzzled at my side.

I took a slow drag from my cigarette and ran my fingers through his soft, sweat-soaked hair. I kept my eyes on the t.v. as the countdown to the new year began.

"58"

"I was just thinkin' that this is our one-year anniversary, of sorts."

"50"

Cloud's clear blue eyes looked up into mine, but I continued to stare at the television.

"This year's gone by fast hasn't it?" he whispered.

I took another slow drag.

"Yeah."

"29"

Cloud sat up and wrapped an arm around my waist. With hi other hand he pulled a bag from the floor and set it on my lap.

"Here."

I looked down.

"For me?"

"20"

"For us."

I opened the bag and I saw two ear piercing guns and a black velvet box. I opened the box and there were to fucking gorgeous ruby earrings. My mouth dropped and Cloud just smiled.

"15"

He took the earrings and set one in each piercing gun.

"I know that this may be a little cheesy, but I hope you like it."

I took one of the guns and smiled like a girl reeiving candy on Valentine's Day.

"Thanks kitten."

"10"

Cloud placed the gun just past the curve of my left ear and I placed the gun on the same spot on his right ear.

"5"

"Love ya," I whispered.

"Ditto."

"3"

"2"

"1"

Click! We pulled the trigger at the same time and then dropped the piercing guns for a hot, passionate kiss.

"HAPPY NEW YEAR!" blared the t.v., and the thunder of fireworks resonated through my little apartment. Cloud pulled away from the kiss briefly.

"Happy New Year, babe."

"Yeah, you too," I replied. "Now shall we celebrate with a good hard fuck?"

"You know it."

Spending the first morning of the New Year making mad love to your lover is, like, the greatest thing ever. Feeling his body up against your own, tasting his flesh, screaming his name, what could possibly be better than that? Especially when it was Cloud Strife in your arms, when it was his flesh shoving into your body, and his lips pressing against your own. Boy was I fucking lucky.

At six in the morning I was awaken abruptly by a tickling sensation in the back of my head. Something just didn't seem right. Opening my eyes slowly, my ears focused on any and every sound in the apartment. The flutter of a dish towel put to dry in the kitchen caught my attention. I had put that towel by the front door which could only mean that someone was in the house. The soft sound of a step on my cheap carpet confirmed it. Almost immediately after, I could feel someone was standing at the doorway to my bedroom staring at my nude back.

I looked up at Cloud who had his arms wrapped around me, and I could tell he was awake. He squeezed me briefly letting me know that he also knew about the intruder. Pressing my fingers against his back, softly, I prayed that he would be able to read my damn mind.

Before that fucker knew what was happening, Cloud had thrown me effortlessly into our would-be attacker while he reached for his Apocalypse. In the air I was able to contemplate in surprised that the attacker was wearing Rhino full-body armor. That stuff could probably protect you from a Mako cannon blast, but it weighed like a friggin' ton. To tell ya the truth, I probably hurt myself worse tackling him that I hurt him.

Thankfully, I managed to take the attacker to the ground, but he kneed me in the side easily breaking a few ribs. I scooted away from him before he cold get up and that was plenty of time for Cloud to pick up where I left off. He furiously attacked that sorry ass until the man was begging him to stop. The Rhino armor had a large crack in the front amidst many gashes and scratches. I grabbed my nightstick and shoved it against the guy's crotch. He was gonna give me some answers.

"Listen up, yo. You either let us know what we fucking want to know, or you can kiss your balls good-bye."

Cloud looked at me disapprovingly, but hey, I had the rep for being a kneecap breaker for a reason.

"Please," the guy gasped, "don't hurt me—ugh."

Before I could do anything, the guy began convulsing and blood began to spill from his helmet.

"Shit! Reno, what did you do!"

Cloud shoved me away from the guy and after a moment ripped the helmet off. Like it was fucking aluminum or something.

The guy was bleeding from his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. Although his body was still convulsing, he was dead.

"What the fuck, Reno!"

"I didn't do anything, yo! See?"

I threw my nightstick, which was still turned off, at him. He glanced at my nightstick before glancing back at the corpse.

"Then what the hell happened?"

I got up gingerly while examining the bruising skin on my side.

"I dunno. Whatever, just dump the body will ya?"

Cloud looked up at me disgustedly. I just shrugged.

"I hate cleaning up," was all I said.

I went to the kitchen and after rummaging through some crap for a minute, I found what I needed to make coffee. While the coffee was brewing, I walked past Cloud, who was still examining the body, and headed straight for the shower.

"It is too fucking early in the morning for this," I mumbled to myself.

After a quick cold shower I decided that I needed a few more hours of sleep before I did anything else. Besides it took at least an hour for my crappy coffee machine to heat the coffee to a drinkable temperature. I crawled into my bed nude and noticed that Cloud was gone, the body was gone, and the mess was cleaned. Laying on my uninjured side, I ran my finger over my new earring wondering if Cloud was coming back today.

A few weeks later…

"So your boy-toy hasn't been coming back, hmm?" Rude asked over the rim of his beer-filled glass.

"No," I whined, "I mean, what the fuck, yo? We were havin' a great start to the new year, then that bastard showed up an' ruined everything."

I had already told Rude about the attack and since Rude already knew about me and Cloud I could bitch about everything to him.

"Why don't you go visit him?"

I finished my can of cheap beer and shook my head.

"I don't wanna go begging him to come back."

Rude cracked his neck but he remained silent. He could tell that I missed Cloud. He was just waiting for me to admit it. I tried to hold out for as long as I could and my eyes rested on the television across the room. There was some news about a bunch of people who had gone missing after looking under some old Shinra building. Great, Rufus was going to be dealing with more shit than he needed to. Looking back, Rude was still sitting there staring at me and I rolled my eyes.

"All right, all right, I'll go see him," I grumbled.

I hit my head against the bar table and let out a heavy sigh.

"Rude, I think I'm in fucking love. But I can't stand that mental bastard."

He just snickered. That damn bastard could still look all cool and hide emotions while I was an utter mess.

"Leave it to you, Reno, to add a profanity in the same sentence as 'love'."

"Fuck off."

"Well, we're still on lunch break, so go get him, tiger."

I flipped Rude off, but I still got up and headed toward 7th Heaven. I needed to see Cloud.

As I approached 7th Heaven, I saw Denzel and Marlene playing with some other orphans in the front.

"Tifa!" called Marlene with a giggle. "A Turkey's here!"

"What the fuck, yo? A turkey?"

Tifa walked out of the bar with a purse over her shoulder and a small frown on her face.

"Don't curse in front of the children, Reno."

"She called me a fuc-, a turkey!"

A grin spread across her face.

"That's the kids' nickname for you Turk. Cute isn't it?"

"Hmph, cute my ass," I grumbled, but a grin spread across my face.

"What brings you here, Reno? It's only lunch time, so you can't be here for a drink."

"For your information, some bars are open during the lunch hour, but that's not why I'm here. Is Strife here? I got a delivery for him. Oh, and I wouldn't mind a drink either."

She shook her head.

"Cloud's cleaning up the bar, but I warn you, he's being kind of moody. He's been depressed for a few weeks, so try not to aggravate him."

I just shrugged.

"I'll be careful."

I walked into the bar casually. Go figure that he would be depressed; he couldn't survive a few weeks without hot sweaty mansex. I found myself wondering if anti-depressant pills or bi-polar pills would help his mood swings. The truth was that he was a lot more fun when he wasn't depressed.

When I walked into the bar, I saw him cleaning tables and had to grin. Cloud made cleaning sexy, now if only he were wearing a French maid outfit…

"Haven't heard from you in a while, kitten," I drawled.

Cloud froze and let out a heavy sigh.

"What are you doing here, Reno?"

"I feel the fucking love, bastard."

He pinned me with an icy glare.

"Reno, if you're not here for a valid reason, I'm going to kick your ass out of here."

"Oh, really?"

I sauntered over to Cloud and made him face me. I lazily dragged my tongue across his pouty pink lips, as I rested one hand on the small of his back and the other hand on the back of his neck.

"Don't be depressed, kitten. Let my hot, tight ass make you feel better."

Cloud grunted and I could easily feel his arousal. I smirked as I tossed my bright red pony tail over my shoulder. Cloud loved it when I talked dirty pretty much because he was too embarrassed to do it himself. As the saying goes, I had him wrapped around my cock. Maybe I did revise the saying a little, it still works.

"Why do you make me so hot, babe?" Cloud asked huskily.

It was always a good sign when Cloud's voice became all sexy like that.

"Must be the same reason you make me all horny."

Cloud attacked my lips with need and I vaguely wondered why he didn't come visit me for the past few weeks. But that thought died in my brain as he pressed me against a wall grinding his arousal against my own. I moaned loudly into his mouth while my fingers quickly removed Cloud's shirt. Cloud tugged off my hair tie before ravaging my neck.

About this time I decided that I was gonna have Cloud fuck me right here, and right now. I wrapped my legs around his waist and whispered hotly into his ear.

"C'mon kitten, fuck me like your little bitch."

Cloud grunted in disapproval, but I quickly changed his mind by rubbing up against his painful erection.

"Damn, Reno," he groaned.

Hauling me effortlessly to the table he had just cleaned, he did quick work of removing my pants and gave my dick a rough tug.

"Don't worry, it'll just be a quickie," I reassured him after my soft moan.

"Of course. Tifa went out to buy groceries, but I don't want to take the chance of her walking in."

"We won't last long, don't worry!"

"Did you bring lube?" Cloud asked as I undid his pants.

"Nope." I had a huge grin spread across my face. "No prep today!"

I thought I heard him mumble something along the lines of masochist, but I knew he didn't mind. I actually think that no prep sex is his favorite. Something about having sex without any lubricant or preparation made it feel so much more real, pure raw passion.

Seductively, I leaned back and spread my legs for him. He smiled like a fucking angel and entwined our fingers.

"Fuck me," I whispered.

That was all he needed before he pounded into my ass. I let a scream tear from my throat as the pain seared through my body.

"Sorry, babe," Cloud wheezed, "sorry, but I need you so bad."

I felt some tears spill from my eyes, but I didn't want him to stop. I needed my ass to be pounded.

"Don't stop, don't stop," I chanted. "I'm not a fucking girl!"

I wrapped my free hand around my needy cock and pumped it in time with Cloud's thrusts. Our moment was coming too soon, but that was expected.

"C-cloud, I'm c-coming soon!" I gasped.

His reply was to thrust into me as far as he could and release his hot seed. Seeing the look of ecstasy on Cloud's face was all it took to make me come and come hard. I howled like a bitch in heat and Cloud kissed me passionately to shut me up. As the waves of pleasure washed over us I was happy that he held me close.

Breathless, I sucked on his tongue lovingly and he practically purred as he ran his beautiful fingers through my messy hair. I wished that time would just stop and would let me kiss Cloud like this for eternity. However, did I ever get anything that I wanted?

A loud thud broke the moment; Cloud whipped his head around and I just stared. Two things were very wrong. First, Denzel was standing there with his mouth hangin' open looking like he was in shock. Second, Tifa was standing there (she'd dropped her purse) with her mouth hangin' open looking like she was gonna kick our asses.

"Cloud!" she screeched, before she grabbed Denzel turning him away from us and into her oversized boobs.

Cloud jerked out of me roughly causing fresh blood and semen to seep from my ass. I just winced and prepared to make my escape.

"Get out!" Tifa yelled while tears formed in her eyes.

"Tifa," Cloud whispered dejectedly after successfully stuffing his penis back in his pants.

"RENO, GET YOUR MOTHER-FUCKING ASS OUT, NOW!"

Ignoring the pain in my ass, I jumped off the table, grabbed my pants, and ran for the back door. I never wanted to be near a pissed off Tifa; she was one of the few people who could probably hand me my ass in a fight and her protecting her child from my perverseness would be like asking her to make a Reno-cabob. Once outside, I put my pants on and made a run for my apartment. I couldn't go to work now, or Rufus would have a reason to think that I _did_ have a period.

Getting to my apartment, I limped up the flight of stairs and cursed as the door refused to budge open. It took a few shoulder shoves before it groan in defeat. One firm kick finally got the damn thing open. Now, I needed a good long bath or I wouldn't be able to walk for a week. Damn Cloud and his monster cock. As soon as I laid into my steamy bathtub I dialed Rude up.

"I need a favor, yo."

"Do you need me to put you back together?"

"Aw, shut it. Actually, I need to take the rest of the day off."

"That rough?"

"You know it. That and we had an audience."

"?!"

"Denzel and Tifa."

I smiled as I recalled the look on Tifa's face. Now that I'm a safe distance from her, I can laugh about it.

"Don't worry, she chased me out the best possible way."

I could hear Rude shakin' his head.

"Anyways, just tell them I ain't coming in today, o.k.?"

"All right."

"Thanks partner."

I tossed my cell phone onto my dirty clothes and just leaned back in the tub. I lazily grabbed my spongy and began scrubbing at the dried blood and semen on my legs.

'Damn Tifa,' I mentally grumbled.

Me and Cloud were having a moment and she totally ruined it. Come to think of it, I never did ask why that bastard hasn't been visiting. I'll just ask him tomorrow. I couldn't help but giggle to myself. I doubt Tifa will ever let me near her bar ever again so I'll have to call him. I wondered if Tifa finished spanking Cloud yet; I guarantee that somehow this entire incident will end up being my fault. My little kitten was gonna be the fucking innocent one, as usual. Oh well, I could handle that.

Suddenly my mind went on full alert and my body tensed. My instincts were telling me that something was wrong and I always listened to my instincts. I mean, how else did I stay alive for so fucking long? I drained the tub quickly, and once that was done, I turned the shower on and closed the curtain. Next, I snapped the head off my toothbrush and soaked my towel and wrung it out. Once the preparations were complete, I stood behind the door and waited. Thankfully, I wasn't disappointed.

The door opened silently and a man with a Lite Rhino full-body came in. Although Lite Rhino isn't as strong as Rhino, it weighs a whole lot less making it far more effective. I noticed that he had a Wutiese long knife strapped to his calf and was carrying a semi-automatic rifle. This guy was fuckin' serious. Well, soon he would be fuckin' dead.

Using the wet towel like a whip, I wrapped it around the unsuspecting assassin's leg, and with a quick tug and the assassin fell with a cry. I jumped on him and before he could react, and stabbed his jugular with the broken end of the toothbrush. The warm blood sprayed across my nude body as the guy died almost instantly.

A sharp pain ripped through my arm and I looked up to see another guy. His rifle was pointed right at my head. Instincts ran my body and I dived for the door putting an obstacle between me and my assassin. I knew that the door wasn't going to stop the bleeding in my arm. Some toilet paper and athletic tape I had stored in my cabinet took the place of bandage, at least for the moment.

When I heard the door open, I ducked under my sink in the hope that it would give me just a little more time. I heard the guy cursing as the mist fogged his goggles so I took that opportunity. I jumped up and once again used my handy-dandy towel. Quickly wrapping it around his head, I jerked it hard, easily snapping his neck.

I felt a hard blow to the back of my head and my vision began to blur. I slipped on the wet linoleum and fell to another guy's feet. I felt consciousness slipping away and briefly fear flared inside. I could really die. The guy took his Wutiese knife and pressed it against my throat.

"Time to die, faggot," the guy whispered.

Something clicked in my mind. What if they were attacking Cloud right now? Was he o.k.? How did this piece of shit know about us? Rage pumped through my body and I delivered a strong kick to the guy's kidney sending him sprawling. Diving on the floor, I grabbed my jagged toothbrush and shoved it in the fool's calf with as much prejudice as I could. He kicked me in the chin sending me backward a few feet. He went for his gun, which he dropped when I kicked him, and I went for Rude's shaving cream.

The assassin spun around to load me up with bullets but I was ready. I sprayed Rude's Icy Cool shaving cream on his goggles and jumped behind the guy so he didn't get a clean shot. The guy ripped his mask off to see where I was, which was exactly what I wanted. I had his Wuteise knife in hand so when he turned around, one quick stab and it was over. I plunged the knife hilt deep into that mother fucker's eye.

"Die, bitch."

A twist of the blade made sure he was dead. The warm blood sprayed across my face and he went down convulsing violently. With a sneer, I watched his dead body twitch until even all the nerves died. Another few kicks and I felt a little better.

As the adrenaline ebbed away I began to feel the pain. A broken foot, bullet in the shoulder, cracked jaw, sore butt, etc. I limped to my pile of clothes before collapsing. Carefully, grabbing my phone, I speed dialed Rude and prayed he would pick up quickly or I would be unconscious.

"You again? Did you want me to bring you dinner too?"

"One more favor, big guy," I whispered. "Check on Cloud."

Before Rude could reply I hung up and finally succumbed to the call of sleep.


	2. Improbus Lacuna

**Disclaimer: I do not and never will own FFVII so please don't sue...**

**Chapter Two: Improbus Lacuna**

I woke up with a big ass headache, on a cold floor, in a pool of my own blood. Freakin' peachy. The blood made me all sticky and I couldn't run my fingers through my hair to check my head. Darn it all, I had to take another bath. Then I realized that the shower was still running.

"Shit!"

I jumped up and hobbled over to turn off the water.

"Not only is the fucking water cold, but I bet my water bill is gonna fuck me over."

I just scowled. Looking around, I took in the dead bodies, the blood, and the shaving cream. Now I'm just plain pissed off. Although I had more than enough gil to pay all of my bills for the rest of my life, I still didn't act like it. Besides, why should I give the government my hard earned money?

Limping around I began to bemoan my predicament. I hate cleaning up with a passion, and here I was with a huge mess, a few injuries, and I couldn't even take a damn bath! All right, bodies first. I wrapped an old robe around my body, put a towel over my head and slipped on Rude's old slippers. Being the genius I am, I always kept some of Rude's stuff over in case he dragged me home in a drunken stupor and he needed to stay. Next, I checked the bodies for identification; not finding any, I took the armor off and shoved the bodies into their own personal trash bags. I'd probably end up taking the armor to Shinra to see if I could trace that to my attackers.

Dragging three trash bags full of a body each was not easy work since I had a fucking bullet in my shoulder, but I managed. Today was just not my day. As I was struggling to shove the third body into the all ready full dumpster, the idiot of a landlord decided to approach me.

"Mr. Stryker, thanks to you the entire building is out of hot water! What am I supposed to do about it now, mother fucker?!"

His eyes widened as I turned to glare at him with my blood-spattered face and he realized that my "trash" was large and was shaped like a human stuffed roughly in a bag.

"Am I supposed to care, yo? I don't fucking care what you do."

I gave my trash a final shove before slamming the lid of the dumpster. A sickening crunch was heard because part of a bag was still sticking out. Good thing the guy was dead or that would have hurt pretty bad.

"Have a good evening, sir," the landlord said politely before turning around and walking away briskly.

"Bastard," I grumbled as I limped back to my apartment.

My broken foot was killing me, but I couldn't just sit down and whine. I figured that Rude had to have checked up on Cloud already, so he probably left a message on my cell. Once I find out if Cloud's o.k., I'm gonna go to Shinra Tower. At least there was hot water and proper medical supplies. I checked the time on my cell before checking for any messages. Good, it was 1:30 AM; I could do my stuff without being grilled by anyone for my injuries. I didn't care to let all of Shinra know about the attempts on my life. Not yet at least.

I flipped open my phone and was actually quite shocked. "No new messages" shone mockingly against my black and gray background.

"What the fuck?" I whispered harshly.

Surely Rude did what I asked! He wouldn't let me down. Panic clutched at my heart and I felt like I was suffocating. What if Cloud is hurt and Rude doesn't want to tell me? What if Rude got attacked too? What if…

I took a deep breath to calm myself down. First things first; I needed to get cleaned up and patched up. I really can't do anything with my injuries. Afterwards, I would hunt for Rude and Cloud and I'm gonna find out what the hell's going on.

I grabbed one of my uniforms from my dresser, a towel and my E-mag, then tossed the towel that was wrapped around my bloody hair into a hamper. A taxi dropped me off a block away from the Tower and somehow, I managed to limp to it. There, I used my Security Card to unlock the door and let myself in, and went to the security office in the Lobby.

"Yo, Kyle, I'm gonna head up to the Turk floor."

The raven-haired security guard glanced at me. What the hell happened to you?"

I scowled at him. "It's none of your business; now let me through. I'm not in the mood to play dodge with the security system."

"All right, you know the drill."

"Yadda, yadda, I know this crap, let's move on, yo."

"Just doing my job."

I handed my card to Kyle and he swiped it in the Key reader. Once he got my ID in the system, Kyle gave me the go ahead.

With practiced ease I swiped my way to the third floor, the Turk headquarters. It was the best floor in the building; it had two dorm rooms with bunk beds, a small kitchen, a conference room, an armory, and the offices. Our armory wasn't as big as the main armory in the basement (don't ask why Shinra has weapons), but it was sufficient for small missions. I went to my dorm room and went to the shower. My crap was everywhere, the evidence that I frequented the dorms. I removed my make-shift bandages and let the warm water pour over my body.

The bullet wound in my shoulder burned like hell; I could feel each blood vessel pumping blood to the open wound and the water washing it down the drain. I knew I lost an ungodly amount of blood, but I could handle it. First things first. I closed my eyes and began to focus on all of my pain. The burning pain of my shoulder; the pounding at the back of my head; sting of re-broken ribs; the dull ache of numerous bruises; the screaming pain of my broken foot; I felt it all. I focused until all I could feel was pain. Then, as I predicted, all of it ebbed away. My body had temporarily numbed the soreness allowing me to focus on patching myself up and getting clean. It was a sweet trick I learned to do in the slums; this self-hypnosis has served me well as a Turk. But now that my pain was numbed, fear crept back in. It really made me uneasy that Rude hasn't called me. Seriously, what if he was hurt? And Cloud, had he been attacked?

"C'mon Reno!" I yelled at myself, "Pull yourself together!"

I hurriedly lathered my bloody hair, and soaped up my body. The blood had caked my tresses and tangled it all up. What a fucking pain. I began to grow impatient while I was working all the tangles out. I considered just chopping it all off, getting it all out of my damn way. I grabbed the scissors from the sink and placed it against my soapy hair. After a pause, I lowered the blades and trimmed the edge of it. I couldn't really do it, not even in a fit of rage.

After ripping out more than half my hair in my rush, I patched myself up as quickly as possible. Just good enough to go through the day. My nerves were starting to wake up, making it difficult to move around. My broken foot was the worst with my concussion coming at a close second. I grabbed one of Elena's crappy breakfast/yogurt-in-a-bottle drinks before I made my way back down to Kyle. I was going to need to get some energy, yet I gotta be sober.

"Yo, I'm outta here," I grumbled.

"Take care!" Kyle called out while taking my ID code from the security system.

I borrowed one of the Shinra motorcycles (mine was in the shop) and decided to head to Seventh Heaven. Tifa may be pissed off with me, but I needed to check on Cloud and I'll be damned if she was going to bother me now. Still, I was not going to be stupid. I parked a block away form Tifa's bar and made sure that my electorod was in working order. _Then_ I made my way to the bar. I saw Rude's car parked in front of Seventh Heaven and my blood ran cold. So Rude did come.

'Then why didn't he fucking call me?' I wondered out loud.

I sprinted the rest of the way and kicked in the door. I didn't have time to fucking knock!

"Rude! Cloud!" I screamed hoping I was wrong.

Silence. The empty bar mocked me. A large lump settled in my throat and an iron fist clenched my heart threatening to crush all life from it. I pulled out my electrorod and began to silently make my way to the back. I began to notice the broken chairs, the shattered glasses, the cracked tables… By Odin, there _was_ an attack. I caught movement from the corner of my eye and turned with my rod on "kill". I froze in shock and Tifa's large brown eyes stared back in surprise. She was holding a basket of bloody and wet rags.

"Hurry up, will you?" came a deep voice I knew all too well.

I ran past Tifa, knocking the basket form her hands, and skidded into the living room. Cloud was partially standing with his Ragnarok in hand and Rude was sprawled on the couch with a wet rag planted on his left eye.

"Reno!" they both gasped at the same time.

Relief flooded through my body loosening the grip on my heart. My eyes watered from the joy of seeing the both o.k.

They were o.k. THEY WERE FUCKING OK AND THEY COULDN'T CALL ME!

Suddenly, my relief turned sour. Now I was pissed off again.

"You fucking bastards!" I screeched. "Do you know how worried I was? Why didn't you answer my call, yo? What the heck happened to the bar? And your fucking eye! What the hell is-"

"Shut up!"

I was rudely interrupted by none other than boobs-a-lot.

"I'll shut up when I get some damn answers, bitch!"

The words barely left my lips before Cloud's sword was pressed against my throat.

"Don't you _ever_ call Tifa by that name _ever_ again," Cloud hissed angrily.

I couldn't help but be hurt. Why was he sticking up for her? He never told Tifa not to call me names and I was fucking him! I know I was being childish, but for cryin' out loud I deserved to be!

"Lay off, Strife, I'm not in the mood to take your crap!"

I shoved his sword away from my neck and I turned to Rude.

"Give me answers. Now."

Rude shifted a little nervously before he stared at me with his good eye.

"Ask away."

"Your eye."

Rude removed the wet rag form his left eye and I would've winced if I wasn't so pissed. There was a mean looking gash above his eyebrow and his eye was bruised and puffy.

"Tifa got me good."

I about jumped Tifa, but once again Cloud stopped me. His arms formed an iron restraint around me, and he sat down forcing me to sit between his legs. Under normal circumstances, I would've enjoyed the position, but right now I was furious. His stronger body was the only thing keeping me form ripping Tifa to bite-size pieces.

"Rude, tell Reno the _whole_ story," Cloud hissed. "And you," he growled in my ear, "Stay put and hold off all questions until he's finished."

I didn't reply, or rather I couldn't reply. Cloud was squeezing my re-broken ribs painfully and had kicked my broken foot. I focused on listening to Rude and on willing any tears away. They would NOT see my pain.

"Once you called me, I got worried. You weren't sounding so hot, so I was going to check up on you. Then curiosity got the best of me and I headed up here instead. I walked in and sat at our usual table, but instead of getting my order taken, Tifa came over and told me to get out. She said, 'I don't give a damn what Reno told you to say to me _or_ Cloud. He better not ever come back! And neither should you!' I stood up and told her that I needed to see Cloud. That's when she punched me in the eye; my glasses broke and cut into my brow."

I shot Tifa a dirty look and stuck out my tongue at her. I didn't fucking care how childish he gesture was, it's all I could do considering that Cloud was preventing me from doing worse. Tifa glared at me with unhidden anger. I forced my attention back to Rude as he continued.

"Just as I was about to force my way to Cloud, Cloud showed up. Through the wall. This guy in Rhino full-body had tackled Cloud right into the bar."

"Cloud, why didn't you tell me you were in trouble?" interrupted Tifa. "You were fighting right outside our home and I had no clue. Why?"

"Home?" I murmured. "Surely you mean 'hell hole', yo?"

If glares could kill, I would've been dead twice over.

"Enough," Cloud said. "Let Rude finish, then we can talk."

Tifa nodded, but she didn't look happy. Rude flipped his bloody rag over and applied pressure to his gash and then continued.

"Two more guys came in shooting at Cloud so Tifa and I put our fight on hold and decided to take care of the mother fuckers. The customers running out made it hard for us because those guys didn't care who they hurt, but once everything cleared, we took care of them."

"That still doesn't explain why you didn't call me, Rude."

He sighed heavily. "The police showed up and I wasn't able to call you. To be frank, I completely forgot about you, partner; too much was happening."

"We didn't hear you come in," Cloud added. "We just got a chance to rest."

Suddenly I felt exhausted. I had a rough night mentally and physically. "Yo, can we finish our heart-to-heart later?" I asked. "I need some down time."

Cloud released me, and as I stood up stiffly, Tifa spoke.

"I hope you're not planning to stay here, Reno."

I froze. She was kickin' me out?

"Tifa, please, not now," Cloud begged.

"No, no, I get it," I answered. "I'm just the pervert who took advantage of poor problemed Cloud, and who scarred poor sheltered Denzel."

Tifa bristled and Cloud looked taken aback, maybe even hurt. Too bad I didn't care at the moment.

"You son of a bitch!" Tifa screamed. "You really hurt Denzel! He's just a kid, but you don't care, do you?"

"What a fucking revelation. You're too smart, yo."

"That's enough!" yelled Cloud. "You," he said grabbing my injured arm, "come with me. Tifa, tend to Rude."

Just as Tifa opened her mouth he interrupted her. "End of discussion."

The pain in my arm as Cloud dragged me outside was enough to leave me temporarily speechless, but it didn't take long for my brain to catch up.

"Let go, bastard!" I yelled.

I tried to jerk my arm from his grip, but all I succeeded in doing was reopen the already sore wound. Real smart of me.

"I'm not letting go unless you promise to listen to what I have to say."

"You can't force me!"

Cloud's eyes narrowed sending a clear message. "Hell yes, I can."

"Fine, just let go."

It came out more of a whine than I wanted, but Cloud did let go.

"Hurry it up, Strife, I need some sleep an' I ain't getting it here."

Cloud avoided my gaze as he spoke. "We need to talk about yesterday."

"Didn't you have a good time?" I asked with a smirk.

Suddenly Cloud wasn't so shy. He was pissed. "Tifa's right you know! We really hurt Denzel! He's scared of getting anywhere near me! Now he's at Barret's place meeting with a counselor."

"He'll be fine, Cloud," I drawled keeping the hurt form my voice.

He was acting like Denzel and Tifa meant more than I did. I should have expected it. Besides, it not like I didn't already know where his priorities were. I was just a good fuck that he used to get rid of any horniness. It was my fault for making him a higher priority to me.

"What if he never gets fine?"

"You're treating him like a fucking pansy! I saw crap like that when I was a kid, and you don't see me in the mental ward!"

Although I was mad I saw a crack of a smile on Cloud's lips. "Maybe you should be," he teased.

"If you come with me, I'll be fine with that."

I was confused. Since when did we go from pissed off to flirting? Then Cloud's sad excuse for a smile vanished and he stared hard at me.

"What happened to your arm?"

I looked down and just noticed the blood soaking through my jacket. Crap.

"Uh, nothing. It's just a scratch."

I turned to walk away, but he stepped on my foot to keep me form going anywhere. Wrong foot.

Screaming in pain, I shut my eyes and let my reflexes took over. My electorod was out in a flash and I swung full force at Cloud. The sickening sound of a crack echoed down the street as my rod met Cloud's jaw. He crashed to the ground and I stumbled backwards into Rude's car. Cloud stared at me in disbelief and the pain threatened to overwhelm me.

"Just fuck off, Cloud," I chocked.

I limped away as fast as I could, holding back all the tears that threatened to fall, and he didn't move.

"Fuck you and your stupid mood swings!" I screamed in frustration.

Fifteen minutes later, I realized that I was limping in the opposite direction of where I parked my bike. Shit, this day just wasn't getting any better. I sat down on the curb and just rested.

"_I'll just find a hotel and park it there for the rest of the day_," I thought to myself. I was just so tired. Maybe it was all that blood loss.

A few seconds later, I felt a tingling sensation go through my body; my eyes snapped open and I could see a young woman standing across the street. She was wearing a tight blue dress and she had her hand in a matching handbag. Everything started spinning but the last thing I saw were her brown eyes staring coldly at me.

I was feeling cold. I could feel the straps on my arms and the hard, cold metal against my bare back. I struggled to open my eyes because the lights were just too damn bright.

"How are you feeling?" asked a soft voice to my right.

"Wfuhapinge," was what came out.

What the fuck? I was thinking quite clearly, but why wouldn't my mouth work?

"Don't worry," the voice said, "it's just one of the side effects."

My eyes finally adjusted and I lolled my head to the side to see the speaker. It was the same woman I saw across the street. The blond hair, brown eyes; yeah it was her. But she wasn't wearing that blue dress anymore. She was wearing a fucking lab coat. I was thinking clear enough to be scared shitless. I hate doctors; ninety nine percent of them were fucking crazy! I knew my luck enough to know that I wasn't in the presence of a sane one.

"Since we'll be seeing a lot of each other, why don't I introduce myself, Reno?"

"Debth."

That was supposed to be, "die, bitch." Of course, my damn mouth wasn't working with me.

"My name is Dr. Sheryl Franklin. My husband and I have become interested in the study of genetics and we have recently discovered how to make the perfect superhuman. Dr. Hojo was on the right track when he made Sephiroth, alas his few miscalculations cost Sephiroth his sanity. Don't worry, we've learned how to fix that."

Dr. Hojo's name made this entire situation clear. She was stark raving mad, just like he was. But what did all this shit have to do with me?

"I believe you're probably wondering what you have to do with all this. Let me explain. We need Cloud's DNA and his unique Mako enhanced body. He was not exposed to Mako like other SOLDIERS. Hojo's work on him makes him the perfect candidate for carrying this child."

I would've done a double take if I could have. She was psychic and psychotic.

"You seem surprised, Reno. You see, I tried to carry a superhuman child, but the experiment failed, leaving me infertile. Cloud's body is so strong that it can handle the child. Besides, we've already perfected the science of the artificial womb in a man."

I jerked my head to look down and was relieved to see my white, flawless stomach. But something caught my attention. My arm. There were numerous needle marks on my arm that were slightly swollen and an angry red color. What had she done to me?!

"Oh, those marks? Are they bothering you?" Her smile revealed how truly insane she was.

"Well, we couldn't get Cloud to come willingly of course, and force wasn't working well, so we are left with one choice. If he wishes to save his _lover_, he will do exactly what we want. I have been giving you large doses of a highly addictive experimental drug. If I stop giving it to you suddenly, the withdrawal will kill you."

By Bahamut, this had to be a fucking nightmare.

"By next week, you'll be needing a shot every other hour to stay alive. That's when I'll cut your supply off, and demand that Cloud obeys us. You better hope he cares enough to save you."

"Now, now, Sheryl, is it necessary to tell our hostage everything?"

I looked up to see a new face. A man with well groomed black hair and small brown eyes stood behind the crazy bitch.

"But darling, I want to know how he acts now that he knows everything."

He smiled at her lovingly. "Of course. In that case, my name is Dr. Damon Franklin, and I was Hojo's personal assistant during and after the Sephiroth experiments. Now, I'm his successor."

Damn Fate! Now I wished I was in a fight with Tifa. That seemed like a birthday party compared to this. Dr. Bitch pulled out a fucking nine inch needle from her pocket.

"It's time for your shot," she said cheerily.

Oh, shit.


	3. Phantasm

**Chapter Three: Phantasm**

The week seemed to pass by in a strange sort of haze. I fluttered between consciousness and unconsciousness while in a constant state of hallucination. My mind _seemed_ to be clear, but my body refused to do anything right. Sometimes the hallucinations were so real, I wanted to believe them. I wanted to believe that me and Cloud were on the hill overlooking Midgar fucking like there was no tomorrow. Or that Rude and I were playing poker at my apartment, drinking liquor and having a grand time.

At other times, I tried franticly to escape the specters. Sephiroth would come to haunt me at times, while at others the ghosts of those numerous people I murdered would come for revenge. Many times, I could feel Hojo turning my body into a monster, just like Valentine. I could never seem to run away from the terrible visions, and then things would change again.

* * *

_I was standing in the dingy room of a shack that me and my Ma shared. I was a hungry little boy again and she hadn't been home for days; she always forgot about me. Her whoring job always kept her busy_. _Besides, why should she care about the little monster who only took food and money from her? My Ma came barreling in with her high heels and her glittery dress yelling about some asshole who had been harassing her and she told me to sit my skinny ass on the couch and to quit playing with the fucking cockroaches._

_As I sat down Ma went to the sorry excuse for a kitchen. I heard a strange noise outside, but kept quiet for fear that the lady would go nuts and spank my ass off. Suddenly the door was kicked in by a crazy looking man. He rushed to the kitchen and I heard struggling. She was cursing him out with words that she only used for her pimp and that scared me. Taking the risk of facing her wrath, I hopped off the couch and crept towards the kitchen to see what was going on. The man was trying to take off Ma's clothes and she didn't like it. She was scratching and punching, but that man was hitting back. He hit her over and over until she couldn't fight back._

_I was too young to understand what was happening and too scared to move. I watched horrified as the man ripped her clothes off and forced himself on her. It scared me, because although I've seen her in that position before, she always moaned and seemed to enjoy it. This time she barely made more than a whimper of pain._

_I must've made some kind of noise because he jerked his head up and looked at me straight in the eye. I saw a monster in there. He stood up and left Ma on the floor and headed towards me. Ma began to beg him not to touch me. The man didn't care; he grabbed me and slapped me when I cried._

_I was petrified and I didn't want to be hurt anymore so I stayed quiet. The man pulled my pants and my underwear down roughly. I told him to be careful, Ma would yell at me if I ruined another pair of clothes, but that just earned me another slap. This time I heard my ears ringing, so I shut up and waited to see what he was going to do. He forced me flat on the kitchen floor facing away from him and he thrusted himself into my tiny body. This time I couldn't stop screaming. The pain was so great that I barely felt him hit me again and again. Even though the physical pain was immense, something inside of me hurt so much more._

_Suddenly, I was covered with a warm fluid and the man's full weight pressed against me. I felt the man slide off of me and it was then that I saw his split skull and Ma holding a metal chair covered in blood. That was my time-out chair. She dropped the chair and fell to her knees before she grabbed my pants and put them on me. I saw her ruined make-up and all the blood. I was so scared of her and I was afraid that the guy would get back up that I couldn't make any noise. Instead I ran out of the house and was headed down the street. I just ran as far as I could._

_

* * *

_When I looked around I saw the white walls of my cell. Damn, now I was dreaming of the crap in my past. That was the last time I saw Ma. My face was wet and sticky so I knew I had been crying; how degrading. I forced my body to roll to my side to get more comfortable, when a thought occurred to me. How the hell was I rolling over if I was strapped down? Was I still hallucinating?

I looked around and I saw the crazy lady standing over me with a cell phone to her ear. I was on the floor and I was unbound. Too bad my body wasn't freakin' listening to me.

"Yes, Cloud, I am _very_ serious. Oh, yes he's alive, but if you don't meet with my demand, he will die. As a matter of fact, his withdrawal symptoms should be showing up right now."

As if on cue, a shock ran through my body and my blood seemed to turn into fire. I felt a knife pierce through my heart and I couldn't stop the scream from coming out.

"Yes, that's Reno you're hearing. You can try talking to him if you want."

I barely noticed the doctor place the phone on the floor next to my convulsing body; and the damn itching wouldn't stop!

"Reno? Reno!"

It had to be an angel on that line. My heart fluttered when I heard him, and I didn't care how much it hurt.

"Don cumb C-clow!" I managed to say before I gave into another scream.

He couldn't come; I didn't want him to get hurt. I could take this pain. Jus as Cloud tried to reply, a loud buzzing noise filled my head and ears. My vision began to dim and I slipped into a world of anguish.

An eternity later, I began to feel consciousness tug at my mind. I felt kind of sick, but the pain was mostly gone. Mmm, it almost felt as if someone was playing with my hair. I just loved that feeling.

"Reno? Can you hear me?"

Damn hallucinations, they keep getting more and more realistic. I opened my eyes and I saw Cloud holding me with worry written all over his face. His fingers ran through my hair easing all of my tension.

"Hey, kitten, I missed you."

"I'm so sorry, Reno. Don't worry, I'll fix everything."

"Of course you will," answered Mrs. Hojo wannabe. "Once you give birth to the child, you and Reno will be released."

Cloud tightened his hold on me and scowled at her. She just smiled.

"I'm holding you to your word, Mrs. Franklin," Cloud spat. Man, I just loved it when he got all pissy.

"Of course, Mr. Strife."

Cloud leaned to whisper in my ear, "Tifa's going to break us out soon. Please be ready."

He pulled away to look me straight in the eye because he wanted to make sure I acknowledged him. I nodded, which brought a small smile to his lips. I really love those lips.

I pulled his head down and he didn't fight it. He tasted so real, so yummy. I hoped I wasn't hallucinating again. Taking his tongue into my moth, I lavished it with attention. I sucked on his tongue like it was a fucking lollipop. Then I felt a cool liquid trickle down my throat. Instantly my mind cleared up and I realized that Cloud was giving me mouth to mouth Elixir. That sneaky bastard! Damn, he's good! He forced my mouth open a little more and slipped a small capsule into my mouth. I knew it was Shinra's newest little invention: Elixir in a capsule. Pop the capsule, and voila, instant Elixir. Rude must've given it to him.

"Let's get moving, Mr. Strife," the mother fucking cow interrupted.

"For later," Cloud whispered before kissing the ruby stud on my left ear. He let me down slowly and stood up with a grim look on his face.

"Let's go."

"One more thing," the cow said. "Reno, I'm sure you're having another hallucination by now, but I'll say it anyway. Since Cloud is here, Dr. Franklin and I will no longer be attending to you; instead, our assistant June Argos will."

I just stared at her blankly and said, "You wanna do the limbo, Rude?"

She just laughed. "He's completely articulate when hallucinating, but he can't speak well when he knows he's in reality."

Cloud looked disgusted.

"Now let's get you prepped."

I saw Cloud and the lady leave. Afterwards a small lady came in and checked my vitals; I didn't want my cover blown so I kept up the hallucinating act. This lady had a small voice and she kept talking to herself in a creepy way.

"Hmm, I see as always, the _good_ doctors are neglecting you. How unfortunate."

She squinted her eyes while looking at my arm then shook her head.

"Exactly what I predicted. Your poor body won't last much longer. Ah, well I should make good use of you."

What the fuck?! Why does everyone want to use me? And she can't seriously mean I'm going to die! I can't leave Rude! I promised!

* * *

_Me an' Rude were about to open up the Gelinka, when he stopped me. I looked at him in surprise and I saw that he had his "serious look" on._

"_What's wrong, yo? We got a job to do."_

"_I know. But, behind this door is a whole lot of freaks and who knows what'll happen."_

"_Oh, you're scared, huh?" He glared at me but I continued to speak. "Here, let me make a promise that'll send your fears screaming to their mommies. We're gonna go down together, or not at all, and you know that no one and nothing can stand up to us together."_

_I flashed him a smile and Rude smiled back._

_

* * *

_It took every ounce of will power to pretend to be hallucinating; I just wanted to get out of here and never think about this shit ever again. I needed to stay patient and wait for Tifa, though, or everything could be blown to hell. The small lady dragged me towards a gurney then surprised me by lifting me up and putting me on it.

"You poor miscreant, you can't weigh more than ninety pounds. How sad. Don't worry, you and I will put an end to the blasphemous work being done here."

What the hell was going on? Isn't this lady supposed to be helping Hojo's spawn? I tried to ask her, but my mouth wasn't working once again. My body was responding sluggishly forcing me to the conclusion that the Elixir was only a temporary cure. Damn, things just keep getting worse and worse.

The lady pushed the gurney into a dark room filled with glass tubes and cabinets. In the center was a single stainless steel table and in the back of the room was an old Mako tank. I was hoping against all hope that that fucking tank was just for is why I fucking hate all mother fucking doctor and nurses! They're all crazy! Every one of them! The lady lifted me onto the table and continued to talk to me while she strapped me down.

"I really didn't like Dr. Hojo, you know, and I don't care for the Franklins either. Ever since Sheryl lost her baby, she lost it. That husband of her's never had it."

I started to feel the itchiness and the pain of withdrawal coming. The lady went to a cabinet and revealed a drawer full of labeled needles. She picked three different needles and brought them over.

"You're starting to twitch, you poor thing. I guess it's almost time for your next 'hit'. Before I give you this though, I need you to listen well."

She opened another drawer and I began to feel _real_ sick when she pulled out a plastic bag from the refrigerated drawer and opened it up. Her gloved hand pulled out something that looked a hell of a lot like an internal organ.

"This, little one, is the very last and most perfect artificial womb." A strange smile crossed her lips. "You and I are going to destroy this. But I must prepare you quickly, because you won't last much longer."

I was strangely calm as I watched her rip off the covering of one of the needles to reveal the glowing liquid. I continued to watch as she slid the cold metal into a vein and emptied out its contents. Immediately, I slipped back into my mind.

* * *

_The air was warm and sticky and there were fucking bugs everywhere, but I couldn't give a damn. We were supposed to pick up the last of Rufus's stuff from Healin, but me and Cloud couldn't help but take a little break._

_I was riding him roughly while he teased my nipples easily with his mouth. Being the loud lover I was, I was moaning and panting, but Cloud was content to stay quiet. I heard a faint rumbling noise like a motorcycle in the distance, but I ignored it; I was having a good fuck, for Shiva's sake! I began to feel a little of the rumbling in my chest, but I ignored that too, I was so close to reaching climax! Seconds later, I saw stars and screamed out Clouds name as I reached my limit._

_A few minutes later I could still hear and feel that noise; it felt kind of soothing, but I wanted to know what it was. I sat up and it stopped._

"_What's wrong?" Cloud asked._

_I frowned, but decided that it was nothing._

"_Ah, it's nothing."_

_I laid back down next to Cloud; we had a few more minutes. Then that blasted noise began again! I decided to take a different approach. My hearing sharpened and I focused on finding where the noise fame from. I was surprised to find that it was actually close by. Very, very close by._

"_Cloud, what the fuck are you doing?"_

_The noise stopped and Cloud looked at me._

"_Hmm?"_

"_You were…purring."_

"_No, I wasn't."_

"_Uh, yeah, you were."_

_Cloud frowned but I couldn't stop the grin from spreading across my face. He didn't notice that he was purring? How the hell can he even purr? Whatever, it was fucking precious._

"_Reno, I don't fucking purr," he said with conviction._

"_Whatever you say, _kitten_," I added._

_I couldn't help but laugh at Cloud's expression._

_

* * *

_My mind began its curious little journey through fantasy and memories, but maybe my memories weren't memories; maybe they're just fantasies. I slipped into a cold darkness and was wondering what the hell was going to happen next when I felt a slight sting on my cheek.

"Reno!" came a voice in the distance. "Wake up!"

A sting began to burn my cheeks. I was being fucking slapped!

"Reno!" the voice seemed closer and sounded like a harsh whisper. "You have to wake up now!"

I felt a liquid go down my throat and my senses cleared rapidly. I realized that I had bitten down on the capsule of Elixir. I heard a commotion above this floor, security sirens going off, and people rushing about. I opened my eyes and was face to face with June Argos.

I was startled with the brightness and clarity I saw her face. I saw the tiny beads of sweat beginning to form, and I even saw the blood rushing along vessels under her way too pale skin. I could even smell the adrenaline pumping through her body.

"Finally," she whispered. "Your friends are here, but we need to destroy the uterus before they come. They can't be allowed to see it." Argos looked around nervously and I smelled her fear. "Just please, Reno," she hissed, "get rid of it!"

I sat up in a sort of haze (I'm getting sick of this phrase), barely noticing that my restraints were gone. Everything looked too bright for such dim light, the sounds were painfully clear, and even my nose seemed to smell all sorts of shit. I slid off the table and made my way to the uterus sitting atop the desk.

It was in that stupid bag; just seeing it made me sick. The smell was so repugnant that I gagged. All I though about was getting rid of the piece of shit that those nuts wanted to put in Cloud. Seeing nothing useful around the room I used the only weapons I had. My hands. I began to tear the fleshy organ with my bare hands and the sense of sickness began to grow to an almost unbearable point. I choked back the bile even as the blood splashed across my face and arms. I mechanically tore at it until there was nothing left but bite sized chunks. I watched in horror as a piece of flesh slid off of my blood covered hands. A tiny but firm hand touched my shoulder, but I was in too much shock to be scared.

"Pick up all the pieces and put it in the bag, so I can take it to the incinerator.

I obeyed her silently not knowing what else to do. I was getting rid of the abomination and that was all that mattered. Argos took the bag from me gently and gave me a stern look.

"Listen, child, and pay attention. You did the right thing tonight. You stopped the work of Hojo and his successors. You will continue to protect the world, especially when you die."

I wondered if she realized that this was not making me feel any fucking better. She shuffled to the cabinet and pulled out the last needle in the tray; after she ripped off the packaging I saw the glowing green liquid and my stomach churned. Please, not Mako!

"Here is the last dose I can give you. You don't need to worry, though; the Mako will be absorbed into another part of your body."

What kind of shit is this lady spouting? If I wanted glowing eyes and mental problems, I would have joined SOLDIER, not the Turk. Then again, didn't I already have glowing eyes from some earlier treatment? Regardless, I stood stupidly and just watched as she injected the Mako into my vein.

"Another thing, little one, please destroy everything in this room, and never tell anyone about our little secret. It will only cause more pain if you do. I give you my best wishes, and I hope you die quickly and painlessly."

With that, June Argos turned around and walked off leaving a very confused me. Damn, I must be hallucinating. Again. I was almost expecting to see dancing chocobos appear and Tseng flying in with a fucking tutu. When it didn't happen, I began to move on.

I went to the cabinet and found some flammable looking crap, spread it around the room, and ripped open the security panel. Then, I ran like hell. Sure enough the sparks from the destroyed security panel ignited the liquid causing one big explosion. Although I ran as fast as I could, the shock wave hit me and sent me flying towards the end of the hall. The big metal door was looking really painful to hit as I flew towards it, but just before I hit it, the door was ripped open by a huge mother fucking monster complete with wings, rippling muscles, and huge teeth.

I ended up tackling that behemoth and wishing that I had hit the door instead. At least a door won't bite. Usually. Even though I had the breath knocked out of me, I jumped off the monster and tried to run away, however, the creature grabbed my arm cutting into the flesh with its ivory claws. Before I could react, it tackled me to the floor and then the sickening sound of a collapsing building filled my ears. I watched in horror as the ceiling above fell down burying me and this animal alive.

I think I was out for a few minutes, because when I opened my eyes, everything was still. It wasn't a normal silent either, more like a muffled silence. My breathing seemed to echo loudly and even though I couldn't really see anything, I felt a heavy weight upon me.

"Are you all right?" asked a deep, smooth voice.

Two glowing red eyes opened above me and I could see that Vincent was covering me with his body. The extra light from his eyes allowed me to see that above him and all around us was debris.

"Reno, are you all right?" he repeated.

I could tell that he was staring at my brightly glowing eyes, and for the first time in over a week, relief flooded through my body. As soon as I opened my mouth to answer, reality set in along with a wave of emotions. I choked back a sob as I tried to gain control of my emotions. Turks don't break down, no matter what, they just don't break down. Vincent's eyes softened as he saw me struggle.

"Let go, Reno. I understand."

With those words I broke; I could no longer be quiet. All the fears, frustrations, and confusion poured out in the tears I haven't let fall since I dropped the Sector Seven plate. I didn't want to be weak, but I felt completely helpless. Isn't it funny how I could survive mass murdering hundreds of innocent people without really crying about it, but one kidnapping and I was an utter mess. Pathetic.

A few hours later, Vincent and I heard voices from above, and sure enough within minutes, his friends broke through some of the debris.

"Vincent!" called out the voice of a woman I would be happy to never hear again.

"Tifa, tell everyone to back away," the ex-Turk commanded. Tifa followed orders and as soon as Vincent deemed it safe he tensed up his body. "Just stay still, Reno, I'm going to fling the rest of this stuff off of us."

"All right, yo," I croaked.

In an impressive show of strength, Vincent forced himself up with enough force to throw off the rest of the building from atop of us. The moonlight shone down on Vincent's pale body revealing a piece of shrapnel sticking into his back and coming out through his abdomen. Dark blood oozed from the wound looking black compared to the scar covered whiteness of his skin. He grabbed the piece of metal with his clawed hand and ripped it out with a sickening squelch.

I looked at Vincent with pity, but he just smiled. Actually, it was more like a microscopic upturn of the corner of his mouth, but I've been screwing Cloud long enough to know what a smile for depressed people looks like.

I heard rushing footsteps, and turned to see Tifa, Rude, Elena, Barret, and Cloud running towards us. Cloud was one step ahead of everyone and grabbed me into a huge hug. Then, he grabbed the back of my head and attacked my mouth with a vigor that usually meant I was gonna have sex. I returned the kiss not caring that nearly everyone was staring at us in shock, or that Cloud was wearing these hospital regulation pants and shirt. I didn't even care that my hands roamed over Cloud's beautiful body. I had saved him, and he would be happy. That's all that mattered.

One hand slid down his belly in order to reach a lower part of him, when I felt a raised area of flesh. It felt…like stitches! I pulled away and ripped open his shirt to reveal a long curved cut that had been recently stitched. I couldn't fucking believe it! If the doctors succeeded, what the hell had I destroyed?! That couldn't have been a hallucination, it fucking couldn't!

Then everything just stopped and my mind shut down casting me into darkness. My brain was fried.


	4. Interlude

**Chapter 4: Interlude**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Square Enix's Final Fantasy VII or their characters, only my plot and my homemade characters.**

I generally hate churches, but when Cloud would come to pay his respect to Aerith, I would go with him quietly. If this was important to him, I could shut my freakin' trap for a little while.

"Thanks for coming, Reno."

I shrugged carelessly while I watched the smoke from my cigarette spiral upward. At least he let me smoke in here.

"I know you hate churches," he continued.

"I don't hate churches, yo," I lied. He didn't believe me, of course.

"Don't lie in a church."

I puffed some smoke for a minute before I spoke again.

"I love you," I stated. I could feel his eyes staring at my back in surprise. "You said not to lie in churches," I added.

"Reno, I-"

When Cloud didn't finish, I turned to look at him and ended up staring straight at the bloody tip of Masamune. I looked up to see Cloud's dead eyes and a smirking Sephiroth.

"My mother's legacy will live on," he said, "not Hojo's. That baby will finish my work!"

Sephiroth pulled Masamune from Cloud's heart and I watched in horror as something moved under the skin of his stomach. A tiny hand broke through the skin and I heard a baby's cry before my own scream drowned out all noise. Strong arms grabbed me and I fought as hard as I could. I needed to save Cloud, dammit!

"Reno, wake up!"

Huh? Rude?

"Quit kicking, dammit!"

Elena?

I opened my eyes and saw Rude, Elena, and Tseng holding me down in a hospital bed. A nurse was standing over me with a needle in her hand.

"If you fucking treasure your life, bitch, get that shit away from me!" I hissed venomously.

Tseng nodded to her and she backed away.

"Reno, are you awake?" questioned Tseng as he let go of me.

I took a deep breath and thought better of smarting off to him.

"Yeah, I'm back."

Rude and Elena let go of me, but I could read the worry on their faces.

The room smelt strongly of caffeine and medicine and the light was too bright. It didn't seem to hurt my eyes but it just bothered me.

"Turn off the lights, Rude. They're bugging me."

My partner shared a look with Tseng and then complied. As we were cast into darkness, I was bothered by the fact that I could see my fellow Turks letting their eyes adjust.

"So what's happened since I've been out? And how long was I out?"

"Twelve hours," replied Tseng while staring at my glowing eyes. I swallowed thickly but allowed Tseng to continue. "After you passed out, Rude and Elena rushed you and Cloud to the best Shinra hospital. The doctors have been running tests on you to ascertain what exactly was done to you."

I glared at him.

"I'm tired of being a fucking play thing for doctors! I've had enough poking and testing to last the rest of my damn life! You want to know what they did to me? I'll tell ya free of charge! I am or was hooked to some experimental drug, then I was pumped full of Mako and Ifrit knows what else, then I was let go!"

"They let you go?" Tseng questioned.

I remembered Argos's last warning before I answered. "Uh, yeah. Some nurse set me loose right before the building collapsed."

Tseng looked thoughtful for a moment before looking at me with all seriousness. "What else did they do to you?"

"Nothing, or at least nothing that I know of. But what I really want to know is what the hell they did to Cloud."

Tseng's face went blank. Shit, that wasn't a good sign.

"About that, Reno, why wasn't I informed about your little 'relationship' with Cloud Strife?"

I bristled at his tone.

"Because you didn't fucking need to know! I don't have to report every damn part of my life, yo! I don't ask for a report every time you fuck Elena!"

That pissed Tseng off. I clearly hit a nerve. Just as he was about to retaliate, another voice joined in.

"You may not, Reno, but I do."

My blood ran cold. I turned to see Rufus Shinra standing in the doorway with his ever clean white suit.

"Boss?"

He walked in with an air of authority that was exclusive to Shinra only.

"Reno, don't be stubborn. You know that I like to know everything about my Turks, including the juicy tidbits. I want to know where your loyalties are and who may be a stumbling block to you, therefore to me. But you already know this." I felt his cold stare center in on me. "You Turks have sworn your lives to me and I take that seriously. When you hide things from me, I question my trust in you. Now tell me everything, including the assassination attempts."

Except for Rude, the others straightened up and gave me surprised looks.

"Assassination attempts?" Tseng asked angrily.

"Ah yes, those attempts on Mr. Stryker's life must have slipped his mind when he was writing his safety reports."

Oh. My. Fucking. Shiva. How does Rufus know this shit?! I felt trapped; I wouldn't put it past Rufus to already know about June Argos. Besides, he was right. I have no business hiding thing from my fellow Turks or my boss.

"I've been having sex with Cloud for one year, five weeks, and two days," I began.

The rest of the story just poured out of my mouth. I was expressionless; numb. It was like I was reliving the worst of the moments these past few weeks. I could feel the itchiness under my skin; I could feel the flesh and blood covering my hands. I couldn't wash the blood off! It wouldn't come off!

"Reno!"

I was shaken out of my trance by Rude. I could see his worried eyes though those fancy shades. It was unnerving to think that even the darkness had no effect on my eyesight.

"Is that all you can tell us?" Rufus asked with a strange glint in his eye.

"Boss?"

"June Argos didn't say anything else?" His voice held a strange tone, like he knew her.

"Nothing else, sir. Do you know who she is?"

Rufus stared hard at me. "What I do or do not know is classified, and as of thirteen hours ago, you lost your classified authority."

My jaw dropped and everyone else looked taken aback.

"You've disappointed me, Reno. This is your reprimand. Show me that I can trust you again, and you may get your privileges back."

With that, Rufus exited, signaling his Turks to follow. As he was going out, Rude mouthed, "Cloud's here too." Then they were all gone, and I was left with a hurt ego, a messed up mind, and a sore body. Damn, I wonder if Cloud felt the same way.

I disconnected all the IVs and wires, found my Turk suit lying on the chair (Rude must've brought it for me), and slipped out of the room. I asked a nearby nurse for Cloud's room and found it to be close to my own. As I turned the corner that lead to his room I saw Denzel and Marlene sitting on the chairs outside his room. Denzel's eyes widened when he saw me, and I heard his heart begin to race. He looked at the ground and began to fidget when I began to approach him.

"Hey kiddos," I greeted.

"Hi, Reno," Marlene whispered. She quickly looked around. "Tifa says we're not allowed to talk to you anymore." Her large brown eyes told me that she was concerned about this.

Crap, now I felt like I owed the little guys an apology, and Denzel deserved an explanation. I bet that boobs-a-lot didn't bother to explain what me and Cloud were doing, much less why. Talking from experience, I know that kids always handle things better when shit's been explained to them. Counselors won't do any good right now. Shit, who do I think I am? Dr. Phil? Oh well, the kid deserved a peace of mind. I squatted down in front of them and stared directly at Denzel; his heart pumped a little faster.

"Marlene," I whispered, "can you buy me one of those coffee-in-a-can drinks? I like it plain, dark."

I handed her the money and she gave me a surprised look.

"You want me to get it by myself?"

I just stared at her.

"Uh, yeah. I mean, you're like twelve or somethin'. You're a big girl, yo, you don't need help getting a drink."

A huge smile covered her face (she looked like she won the frickin' lottery) and she hopped off the chair and skipped away with my money to find coffee.

"Damn, does Tifa have you guys on leashes?" I asked myself aloud before turning my attention back on Denzel. "Denzel, listen, I'm sorry that your feelings are hurt or whatever because you saw me and Cloud go at it. Now that I've apologized, I think you deserve an explanation." Those blue eyes finally looked me in the eye. "Cloud and I have been seeing each other, and well, ya know, we do, um, adult stuff." His eyes never let mine, so I continued explaining in a quiet voice. "I don't mind doing adult things with Cloud, but since you're not an adult, Cloud nor I will _ever_ try adult things on you. You don't need to worry."

I gave myself a mental pat on the back; damn, I'm good.

"B-but, you were screaming, and there was blood. Wasn't Cloud hurting you?" he whispered.

Oh, shit. How the hell do I explain sadism and masochism to a sheltered little boy?

"Uh, well, shit! Give me a minute." I took a quick pause and gathered my wits. "OK, let's try this. Sometimes there are things that only adults understand. This is one of them." Hehehe, smooth; nice save.

"Why?"

Kids and their damn "whys"!

"Uh, well, life wouldn't be any fun if you could understand everything as a kid. Even adults gotta learn something new, yo."

Denzel pondered my answer for a minute and I prayed to Shiva he would accept it.

"Will someone ever do something like that to me?"

I shook my head. "Not unless you want them to."

"I would never," he said with a frown.

"And that's ok, little guy."

Just then Marlene came skipping down the hall with my coffee.

"Here you go, Mr. Reno," she whispered.

"Thanks."

I grabbed the coffee and was about to knock on Cloud's door when the door flew open hitting me right in the nose and sending me back a few feet.

"I'm going for some air!" Cloud shouted angrily before slamming the door shut.

"Did I ever tell ya how hot you look in a hospital gown?" I asked while holding my nose. Surprisingly, it wasn't bleeding.

"Reno?" Cloud looked down at me in surprise. "Ah, shit! Are you ok?"

I frowned as I recalled the stitching on his stomach.

"Cloud, we need to talk."

Cloud noted my seriousness and nodded. We ended up in the bright backyard of the Shinra hospital where patients were taken for rehabilitation. We sat down on one of the many benches and waited for the other to speak. At first, I just sipped at my coffee, but I couldn't stand the silence. I decided to brake the silence first.

"What did they do to you, kitten?"

I hated the sound of dread, of finality in my voice. I'm not weak.

"They just mind fucked me a bit. Telling me that the child they were creating would put Sephiroth to shame and shit like that. Then they kept shooting me up with Mako and some other stuff. Then a few hours before Tifa showed up they began surgery. They cut me open and prepared my body for the artificial womb. Next thing I knew, Mrs. Franklin came in screaming that the womb and the baby were gone. Both of the doctors ran out yelling about Mrs. Argos, the nurse assigned to you."

"You were conscious?"

"They numbed the area of surgery, but they said I needed to be conscious so they could tell if something went wrong. They forgot that I've escaped crazy laboratories before. Although last time I needed Zack's help, he taught me well. I ripped out my restraints, sewed myself up, and began searching for you. Instead of finding you, Tifa found me and forced me to wait outside while they searched for you."

"So you're not…" I just couldn't say it. If someone had violated Cloud in such a way, I don't know what I would do.

"No, babe, I'm just plain old screwed up Cloud."

"Let's make love, Cloud," I asked suddenly. "Right now."

Cloud gave me a strange look. It was the first time I had ever referred to our act of lust in such a way and it bothered him and it sure as fuck bothered me too. Maybe I was asking him for a commitment and he was scared to go forward, but he could see that I needed this. I needed to know that he _was_ ok, and that everything would be the same with us. Even I didn't completely understand it myself and loathed how sappy I sounded, I knew that doing this would be good for the both of us.

He grabbed my hand and took me to a shady area far away from everyone else. There we took our time getting undressed. There was no rush, no urgency; only the desire to be intimate. I gently pushed him down and I let my lips find his. There was no battle of dominance this time; Cloud just let me do what I needed to do. I tasted his sweet mouth like it was the first time, slowly learning every inch of it with my tongue. When the need for oxygen forced our lips apart, I trailed breathless kisses across his jaw and down his neck. I dragged my tongue across his chest to a beautiful nipple and roughly massaged it with my tongue. A shiver of anticipation ran through my body as I heard Cloud's breath quicken and as I felt his body squirm underneath me.

"C'mon kitten," I whispered huskily, "suck."

I placed my fingers against his lips and he eagerly took them into his warm mouth. I couldn't help but moan; that guy can drive me insane with his mouth alone. The hardness pressing against my stomach didn't help much either. I dipped my tongue into his belly button and gently eased them both into him. His breath hitched as he tried to relax and I began to groan in anticipation.

"Ngh, kitten, I want you, want you so bad."

His only reply was excited pants. Damn, I could have had an orgasm preparing him! He was just so damn hot! I hurried the rest of his prep as my cock throbbed painfully. I didn't even care that it was broad daylight in a public area! Hell that just made it sexier!

I gently eased my cock into him while groaning praises and other unintelligible things. Screw heaven, I'd rather be here for eternity. I had to stop myself to allow him to adjust.

"I'm ready," he gasped, and I'll be damned if he had to tell me twice.

I began a quick pace that I knew we could handle, but this time things were different. I could feel every quiver of his muscles, every gasp of breath. I could hear quiet little moans and pleas for more, and I saw little droplets of sweat travel down his defined muscles.

When I hit his prostate, oh gods I must be dreaming, but please tell me I'm not. He let out a deep moan and wrapped his legs around my waist tighter.

"Ah, Reno, again!"

I almost lost it there; I have never heard Cloud scream out my name like that! Instead, I complied. I was surprised at my fortitude; normally Cloud would outlast me, but I was doing a fucking good job. And I was fucking enjoying it.

"Mmm, ah, kitten! I fucking love your hot tight ass! C'mon baby, come for me just for me! Ungh!"

"Reno!"

It took one stroke along his length to bring Cloud to completion. He dragged his nails down my back leaving thin streaks of blood. The extra friction as he tensed proved to be too much stimulation for me. Fuck seeing stars, I saw fireworks! I saw Cloud's precious expression before everything went black.

I felt fingers run through my hair, and soft lips pressing feather light kisses across my face.

"Hmm, I should have probably warned you about the strength of an orgasm for a Mako enhanced person, babe. Sorry about that."

I opened my eyes and looked into those gorgeous blue orbs.

"How long was I out?" I mumbled. I noted that my body felt satisfied, not sore.

"About ten minutes."

I sat up and saw that Cloud was all ready dressed. I got my suit on and sat next to him.

"Thanks Cloud. I needed to unwind a little, yo."

"Yeah."

"I hope you're not going back to one word sentences."

Cloud just smiled. "Nope."

I chuckled and then pulled out a cigarette and my cheap lighter.

"Are your friends overreacting to our gayness?"

He quirked an eyebrow. "Our gayness? Is that the best description you can come up with?"

"I don't need to be fucking fancy! You know what I mean, yo."

He just shook his head. "Well, they're not happy about it, but we're good enough friends that this isn't going to destroy our friendship. What about you?"

"I'm fine."

"That's not-"

"Hey, Cloud, um, I gotta get to work soon."

He looked at me incredulously. "Work? But you've just gone through hell!"

"No worries! The Mako's taken care of the drugs in my system, and besides, you know me! I'll be bored out of my mind if I'm not doing something."

"Cloud!" Tifa's voice cut in. "Where are you?"

Cloud sighed. I just glared in her direction. She was walking along the well kept sidewalk.

"Reno, you really should rest."

"Don't give me that crap, I'm sure by tomorrow morning you'll be out and about doing some dangerous shit."

"Cloud?! C'mon!"

"Tifa knows how to piss someone off," I grumbled.

"Don't be so pissy, and maybe she won't get under your skin."

There he goes again, defending her and blaming me. To be honest though, I felt a little too good about making love to him a few minutes ago and I really didn't want to ruin that feeling, so I let it blow over.

"Well, your friends are calling, kitten."

"Don't do anything stupid, Reno. You have a habit of doing that."

"Whatever."

Cloud leaned over and gave me one last peck on the lips before he stood up and left the cover of the trees and went to Tifa. As I watched them talk, I thought about the shit that could have happened to him. Yeah, I had some unfinished business.

"Time to put my Turk skills to use," I mumbled as I took another drag. "'Cause someone has royally pissed me off."

If those nutcases thought that I was just going to sit on my ass and whine about what they did to me and Cloud, they were dead wrong. It was a bit unfortunate that I lost my confidential access since that would make finding them a hell of a lot easier, but I could still do this. Just think of it like I was back to being a junior wannabe Turk. The only difference? This time, it was personal.


	5. Veritas:part 1

**Chapter 5: Veritas: part 1**

For the next four weeks I slaved away with my Turk duties and with my own little investigation. Shinra and I were both trying to find Mr. and Mrs. Franklin, but for two different reasons. Shinra wanted to squeeze every bit of information from their brains probably to do such god forbidden experiments for themselves, but I had a more personal agenda. I wanted to hear them scream for mercy while I peeled the skin from their flesh before moving on to disembowel them. I wanted to see the life leave their worthless bodies and I wanted the last words they hear to be, "Go to hell, mother fuckers." I wanted cruel revenge and I wouldn't be satisfied until I got it.

On top of that, all of us were investigating into some weird thing regarding a top secret organization called Deepground, or something like that. Since I was still getting my wrist slapped by Rufus, I didn't know a hell of a lot about the stuff we were looking into, but I did know that it was related to the incident a few weeks ago where some people went missing. Obviously, it was a lot worse than the news reported, or we wouldn't have bothered getting involved. I also knew that it was pretty bad after I found out that Reeve's WRO was sticking its nose into the incident as well.

Anyways, work nowadays was shit; since I lost my classified authority, I've been stuck with writing a crapload of reports and doing menial labor just like the good old days. I was doing the grunt work of beating up drug lords who owed us money (don't ask why), and getting rid of the ones that the Boss didn't want to deal with. Since the Deepground thing was top-secret, I didn't even get to do any of those assignments with Rude.

All of my assignments now were an insult to my skills; I haven't done shit like this since my first year as an official Turk. I was freakin' high profile, the second-in-command of the fucking Turks! And the worst part was that Rude and I didn't really work together any more. He had confidential work while I got the "janitor duty"– cleaning the crap at the bottom of the pile. It was the ultimate humiliation, but there was no way in hell that the Shinra prince would find the "good" doctors before I did. I just wasn't gonna let that happen.

As a matter of fact, at this very moment, I was checking files in Rude's computer which he "accidentally" left logged in. There were some confidential files which he didn't completely delete. Rufus would have been pissed if he knew that Rude was helping me out, but then again, that bastard of a boss probably expected that.

"Damn, nothing on Argos," I mumbled to myself. "And only crap for the other two. Nothin' I don't already know."

Finding nothing useful, I decided to pay and old "friend" a visit. I brought the Rhino armor I took from my would-have-been assassins and headed deep into the slums. Ever since Midgar had been destroyed and Edge was built, the slums were moved to a place known as Purgatory. It was the area that lay between uninhabitable and dangerous Midgar and the sanctuary of Edge. Not everyone could make it in Edge, so the rest were left to rot in the new slums.

As I walked down the filthy streets, the sounds of moaning seemed to float on the wind blowing from the Midgar ruins. It sent shivers down my spine, but I just convinced myself that it was only the wind making noise. No one would be stupid enough to get near Midgar nowadays.

Shaking my head, I walked into an old shack of a building with a crudely painted crystal ball on the side. "Psychic readings" was written underneath the ball. As soon as I entered, my nose crinkled up at the disgusting smell of incense burning. A cloaked figure came out of the back holding a crystal ball in one hand and tarot cards in the other. The person's face was covered by black wrappings and shiny bangles hung from both skinny arms.

"Ah, come for your fort-," began the outrageous high pitch voice.

"Long time no see, yo," I drawled as a smirk formed on my lips.

"Oh shit!" the fortune teller dropped everything and began to run, but I was way too fast. With my "friend" against the wall, I took out a cigarette and began our conversation.

"Logan, baby, aren't you glad to see me?"

"Fuck off," Logan replied with a considerably more masculine voice.

"Tch, is this anyway to treat your savior?"

"You mean me slave driver, don' ya!" he spat. "Me gettin' saved by you was de worst decision I've ever made in me life!"

"You don't think that doing whatever I ask you to do for the rest of your life is a fair trade for saving you from Shinra?"

"No!"

"Oh well, you're stuck. Now let's do business, yo."

Logan whimpered as I released him to get the armor. I lit up my cigarette and sat in front of him with my wares.

"What does you want, Reno?" he sighed.

"Besides you to quit wearing drag?" I tossed the armor towards him. "I want you to tell me where this came from."

Logan handled the armor gingerly and scrutinized it. I quietly smoked and grinned to myself. There was never a man known who could identify armor as well as Logan, an ex-Shinra employee. He had been trained to be able to identify any kind of weapon or armor based on barely visible markings, stamp marks, and the feel of the material. Born with a keen sense of touch, Logan was the best. But after I dropped the plate on his family's home in Sector 7, he decided to leave Shinra and all their wicked ways. I was sent to get rid of him, but I didn't want to waste such talent. So in exchange for his life, he became my eternal slave, and he had served me well.

"All right, man, dis stuff is high quality. Ya, me guess would be up in da Nibel Mountains. There are definitely Nibel dragon scales in dis armor."

"Ugh, why is it always Nibelheim?" I groaned.

The only area in the Nibel Mountains suitable for a production plant would be the old Mako reactor.

"So, ya don' need me help no more?" Logan asked hopefully.

"Well, if you're wrong, I'll be back to carve out some of your flesh as payment for wasting my time. If you're right, yo, I won't be back until the next time I need you."

Logan visibly gulped. He knew I wasn't kidding.

"C'mon, man, has me ever been wrong before?"

I blew a puff of smoke right into his face.

"No. That's what I'm counting on, yo."

With a goal in mind, I headed home to my junkie apartment. I walked in and saw my answering machine blinking with "1 new message" on the screen. That's odd, usually, if someone wants to get a hold of me, they just call my cell phone. I walked over and pressed the "play" button while setting down my keys.

"Hello, Mr. Stryker," came the chilling voice of Mrs. Franklin. I froze and listened cautiously. "You were helpful to us before, and we're hoping you'll be of use again. You are the only person who knows where June Argos is and we need her to return what she stole from us."

"Bah, those shitheads are crazy if they think I'll help them."

The message continued undisturbed. "Meet me and my husband at the Bentley's Meat Packing Plant at 1:00 a.m. and give us her location. If not, your mother and your little brother will be dismembered alive before being throwing into the grinder. Don't be late."

Silence filled the apartment.

"_My Ma?_" I thought. _"She's still alive?"_

Not that I really cared; I mean, she never raised me; the streets did. She was a disposable whore and I was her disposable son. After I ran away, she never went to look for me. She never cared, so why the hell should I? I scowled and decided to put all thoughts of her out of my mind; and I don't give a damn if anyone thinks I am being harsh. Cloud picked this moment to give me a call on my cell.

"What!" I snapped. Why was I so upset?

"Is this a bad time?" he asked quietly.

"No, no, it's ok. Is everything all right?"

I could hear a smile in his voice. "Yeah, everything is great. Actually, I wanted to thank you for getting Denzel to speak to me again. He told me that you explained everything to him."

"Hey, no problem, kitten. I just told him the truth. Mostly."

"Well, he doesn't seem traumatized, so I have to conclude that you did a great job."

"Thanks, kitten. How did Tifa take it?"

"She's kind of bewildered that he's doing fine, but that's because we didn't tell her about you helping." I laughed. "Um, hey, Reno, Tifa's going bar hopping with Yuffie tonight and Barret's got the kids. Do you want to come over?"

My loins stirred at the suggestive tone in his voice. "It depends. What'cha making for dinner, yo?"

"Stuffed chicken breast."

My mouth watered. Cloud cooked way too good to be a man, but my stomach and cock are devoted fans. Especially when he offers to cook my favorite dish in that deliciously sexy apron.

"Baby, I never say no to you," I replied. "Be there in ten minutes!"

"See you."

I hung up and grabbed my keys by the answering machine. I paused for a minute, but decided to put the message in the back of my mind. Besides it was probably a bluff. How would they find my mother? It just didn't make sense.

Fifteen minutes later I arrived at Seventh Heaven and Cloud took me straight to the kitchen. Since the chicken needed a few more minutes, I decided to let my mouth warm up a little. I sat on the counter and winked at Cloud suggestively. Being the irresistible shithead that I am, he couldn't stay away from me long. The moment he got within the vicinity of my hands, I pulled him between my legs and assaulted his mouth. I nipped his lips and sucked his tongue trying to drive him insane while I tried to keep my mind off of that message.

Did they really find Ma? And what made them think that I would care about her enough to save her? And Franklin said they had Ma's son too. Surely a little kid shouldn't be put into a grinder because of his mother's other son not caring about her. He was innocent! Then again, when did I get a little brother? Wasn't I enough for that whore?

Cloud pulled away from me, and looked straight into my troubled eyes.

"Reno, what's wrong?"

"Nothing!" I snapped.

He turned his back to me, clearly pissed. What? Now I had to tell him everything? Since when did he become my fucking mother? The last thing I needed right now was a damn nanny and that's exactly what he was trying to be.

"Chicken's done. Let's just eat," he snapped back.

"Fine, yo."

He pulled the chicken out of the oven, put them on plates, and then set the plates on the table with a little more force than necessary. Fuck, we always find a way to mess up a perfectly good moment, and to be honest, it was usually my fault.

"Eat," he commanded.

I glared at him while I took my seat. Then I turned my focus to the only good thing in this house**–**the chicken. That's when something weird happened. I stared at the chicken and the sight of it started to make me sick; the smell wasn't helping much either. I forced myself to cut a piece and shoved it in my mouth; this was my favorite food, for Bahamut's sake! As soon as the chicken touched my tongue, my throat tightened and I gagged, spitting it out. Cloud had his fork poised near his mouth and his mouth hung open while he stared at me with an incredulous look. I stared back at him.

"What the fuck, Reno! Now you don't like my food?"

"What the hell did you do to this food?! How could you possibly ruin my favorite freakin' food?!" He looked so hurt, but I couldn't stop myself. I'd been so stressed out and holding it all in that now all of it came out in one big rush. "Did you poison the food? Ya know that wouldn't be the first attempt on my life, yo! I've lived through it before, and I'll do it again!"

"Reno-"

"And I'm going to save my Ma and her son, and I don't care what anyone thinks, and I don't even care that I hate her guts!"

Without giving Cloud a chance to respond I got up and stormed out. I headed straight to the meat factory in a blind rage. I didn't know how I was going to do it, but I needed to save them. I _would_ save them.

Thirty minutes later, I was standing in front of the dark building. A look at my watch revealed that it was 12:45 a.m.; well, they never said I couldn't be early. I began checking the surrounding areas and I plotted several different escape routes once I got outside the building. Once I was confident that I could escape once out here, I decided to sneak in the meat packing building and learn my way around there. After ten minutes of wandering, I came to the only lighted room in the building. And in the middle of it was my Ma sitting next to a small kid. He couldn't have been more than four; he was nervously sucking his thumb while Ma fidgeted with the ropes tying her to the chair. There were over thirty guys in that stupid Rhino armor, some Lite some Heavy.

"Shit!" I whispered.

This was going to be one hell of a night. Even if I could escape, I had to get a full grown woman and a toddler in the midst of an army to kidnap. If I could pull this off, me and Rude were going drinking tomorrow. As I glanced around trying to come up with an idea, I realized that I only had two minutes to come up with a plan. I rocked on my heels while trying to get my mind to work, but it wasn't fucking happening! With nothing coming to mind and less than a minute before I would be late, I made the best decision that I could. I was gonna wing it. I would do whatever came to mind whenever I felt like it; that was just the way I operated. It was no use trying to do my job any other way. I stepped out from the shadows and instantly all thirty five guns were pointed in my direction. I just lit my last cigarette and gave them all a smirk.

"What up, dogs? Here I am, but I don't see any crazy bitches besides my Ma. Where's the Frankenstein family?"

The gag kept my mother from cursing me out but her eyes were more than enough to send her contempt for me. Well, I guess I did deserve that one. A monitor sitting on a table not far from the huge grinder (what the hell did they grind with that, whales?) suddenly came to life showing the face of Mrs. Franklin.

"Thank you for coming, Reno, we knew that we could count on you. As you can see, you are outnumbered and you would only be killed if you tried anything stupid, so let's get down to business. You know where June Argos is, and I want to find her. Give me what I want and your family is returned to you without a scratch."

I stared at the monitor calmly while taking a drag. Once she finished, I continued to smoke, looking thoughtful.

"Just so you know, bitch, I really don't give a damn if you kill these people, I just had nothing better to do tonight so I came to have some fun."

"Is that so?" she asked with an amused smile. "Shall we test that statement?"

"Sure," I shrugged. "Actually, I'm lookin' forward to seeing that sorry excuse of an egg donor getting turned into confetti."

"All right."

My Ma looked at me in shock and terror, but I didn't even flinch. Her son grabbed the edge of her short dress and rested his head on her lap completely unaware of what was being discussed. His innocence stabbed at my heart, reminding me that I was just like that many years ago.

"Justin, take the child. Amputate his limbs and throw him in the grinder."

The armored man nearest to them nodded. Only a slight twitch of my lips broke through my mask of indifference.

"Yo, I thought that the whore goes first."

"No, no, Reno, but she will go soon."

At this, my mother began thrashing around trying to scream and stop us, which only succeeded at scaring her son. He looked terrified and began to cry. The meathead named Justin approached the kid and picked him up effortlessly. He headed toward the grinder and the assortment of chopping instruments. It took every ounce of control I had to not just run towards the kid and try to stop it. That would be sure suicide, but I had to buy more time! I had to come up with something!

"Mama!" the kid screamed tearing at my concentration and control. "Mama!"

My Ma helplessly struggled to do something, to try to stop the cruel act. In that moment, I saw her standing over me with the metal chair she had used to kill my rapist. She had been brutally beaten, yet she saved me. And here she was doing the very best that she could to save her other son. Suddenly, I didn't give a damn if what I was doing was suicide; I was going to help them.

As the man dropped the kid on the metal table, time seemed to slow down. I broke into a run towards the boy while pulling out my EMR. The men reacted so slowly, that it was almost funny; I made it to the guys surrounding Ma and I swung my e-mag as hard as I could, sending all of them flying. Even the motion of them falling away seemed to be agonizingly slow. My eyes focused and I could see what each person was planning to do; some were going to shoot at me, some were going to try to manhandle me, and all the while I could see the shocked expression on the doctor's face.

I almost reached the little kid, whose eyes had grown quite wide, when I heard a shot go off. I looked and was shocked to actually see the bullet heading towards me. I saw it slice through the air towards me and I did the craziest thing–I sidestepped it. The bullet went past without even a nick. Several more shots rang out and I could see every single one of them coming for me. I easily avoided getting hit by any of them, then I decided to quit fooling around with dodging bullets and save the little guy. As even more bullets tried to bury themselves in my flesh I ran to Justin and before he could do anything, I jabbed my e-mag straight through his helmet. The blood spewed out profusely and I was nearly distracted with the way that it caught the light in such a beautiful way. Instead, I gave myself a mental kick in the ass, and proceeded to grab the little kid, who looked like he was going to faint. I needed to get him and my mother out of danger, so I turned on my heel and headed towards her.

I saw that I was no longer the target; the soldiers were now training their guns on my mother before letting out a rain of bullets. I forced my legs to go faster, yet I was nearly too late. I managed to grab the back of her chair and pull her out of the bullets' paths. My senses picked up and I snatched out on reflex and caught a stray bullet that nearly got me in the back of the head.

Although, I was way faster than they were, there were still twenty seven more guys than me. I needed to kill all of them if I had any chance of surviving; and that is what I was going to fucking do. In my mind's eye I could see the easiest way to get to each guy, I could see the frailty of their armor. I could see how to kill every one of them efficiently and quickly. I could see….

I opened my eyes and stared at the room full of dead bodies. I gazed downward and saw all of the blood that covered me, and I felt weak. Did I kill all of them? Already? I realized that my mother and her son were staring at me in utter fear and I could barely control my breathing or my heart rate. I could feel the hammering against my ribs and I just wanted to puke.

"Good Shiva."

The voice of Mrs. Franklin shook me out of my horrified state. I saw that she was staring at me with fear, awe, and even worse, with the look of a pleasant surprise.

"It's you," she continued. "I thought that you died. But you're alive! And you've been given the Mako treatment! Ah ha ha ha!"

Her terrible laugh echoed throughout the building and I felt numb. What was she talking about?

"It's too perfect! And you don't even have a clue, do you? You are the Argos child! Ah ha ha ha!"

Argos child? Me? What the hell did this have to do with June Argos? I looked at my mother and she looked utterly horrified.

"You will soon come back to me, Reno. Back where you belong."

"Shut the hell up!" I screeched. "You're fucking wrong! You don't know shit!"

I grabbed one of the soldiers' helmet and threw it as hard as I could, shattering the monitor. I gasped for the breath that seemed to have left me. I needed to get out; I needed to take these guys out of here. I quickly untied Ma, then I grabbed her kid and dragged them both out. I kept going and going, completely unaware of my surroundings. It never seemed to be far enough. My mother couldn't handle my pace and stamina, so I picked her up as I had her child and kept going. Suddenly, my feet just stopped. I looked around and noticed that I was in Purgatory, and in Logan's neighborhood. I looked at my reflection in the broken glass of an abandoned shop and almost cringed at my appearance. But it wasn't my torn clothes or the blood that I noticed; it was my eyes. They were blood red and glowed just like a SOLDIER's eyes. What the hell happened to me?

I braced myself mentally and headed towards Logan's place. I could trust him to give my Ma and her son a shelter. I shook my mother awake and set her down so that I could knock on the door. When no one answered I resorted to kicking the door down.

"Logan, get your ass over here now!" I yelled.

I heard the bustling noise and he came down in a pink bath robe. The color seemed to clash with his black skin and the dreadlocks he kept back in a ponytail.

"What be this craziness," he groaned when he saw us.

"Logan, I want you to take care of my mother and her son. They need a place to stay."

He just looked at me and nodded. It seemed that his ability to speak was not working at the moment. I looked at my mother.

"Ma, what the hell was that bitch talking about?!"

She shook as she answered. "I d-don't have a clue, y-yo."

"Liar! You always fucking lie to me!" She seemed to shrink even further. "Ya know what, just shut up and stay under cover. Logan here is a good man and he'll take good care of you. Stay put and I'll make sure you and your kid ain't in any more danger. Then, we'll talk. And by then you had better tell me the truth, or I'll take you back to that packing plant an I'll personally put you in that grinder. Got it!"

She could only cower as a response. I turned around and rubbed my temples.

"Logan, please, I need you to take care of them. They need protection."

"Well, man, I wasn't in Shinra for nothin'." He gave me a firm nod.

"Here, as payment."

I tossed down three thousand gil from my pocket on his table. His eyes widened at the sight of so much money. Besides, I had never paid him for anything.

"Thanks, Reno," he mumbled in awe.

"I'm outta here, yo, but I'll be back soon. Stay out of trouble."

With that I left and headed for my house. I needed to clean up before I was going to give Rude a visit. I needed his confidential access to find more information. What the hell was an "Argos child"? And why did I get the feeling that it probably wasn't any good?

The sky seemed to grow lighter as I made my way up to my apartment. I was so tired, I just wanted nothing more than to sleep the day away then go drink a few beers with Rude. Maybe even play a game of poker. But of course, life would never be fair and I just didn't have the time to waste. I needed answers.

I stumbled into my apartment and locked the door behind me. I dropped my bloody EMR on the floor near the door and began to take off my clothes on the way to the bathroom. When I reached my bedroom everything got fuzzy and I stumbled to the floor.

"Reno!"

Huh, I know that voice. It's nice and deep, has a rich tone and it's a shame that it's hardly used. Wait a minute, what the hell? I sat up quickly and I saw Rude standing over me looking worried.

"Rude? When'd you show up?" I asked. "Did I oversleep?"

"Reno, you ass, you just fell down. I was waiting for you but I didn't hear you come in."

"Is that so?"

"Partner," he began, his voice grave, "you've got to come with me now."

"Really? I was about to go get you myself."

"This is serious, Reno! I need to take you to the Shinra hospital now!"

"What?" I looked down, but other than blood, I was fine. A bit tired, but fine. "Yo, I'm fine. Besides, there is some more important shit that I got to take care of."

"Reno! Just listen to me this once!"

"Why should I?" I challenged.

Rude pinched the bridge of his nose before he replied.

"Rufus had the doctors analyze and re-analyze the results until there was not much doubt. Reno, your body is having a strange reaction to the Mako you received. The doctors don't know what's going on! Your body is going crazy! You may die!"

Rude's face was pale as he finished speaking. I was dumfounded, but I knew he was right. Especially after tonight's events.

"Listen, I won't die, and I'll go with you to the doctors. But promise me something."

"Anything."

"No matter what happens, I want you to take me out to drink as soon as I get out."

He smiled softly.

"It's a promise."


	6. Veritas: part 2

**Chapter 6: Veritas: part 2**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Square-Enix characters. I only own my charries and my plot.**

Me an' Rude arrived at the Shinra hospital as the sun peaked over the edge of the horizon. Its fiery red haze vaguely reminded me of my hair, at least of what Elena and Cloud say about its color. Although I was dead on my feet and about to find out if I was gonna die, I walked in with my usual cocky swagger. Had to keep appearances, didn't I?

We walked past the front desk without being questioned and made our way to the back of the building. There, we continued on until we reached a room that looked like it was being prepped for major surgery. The adrenaline began to pump through my body at the sight of it. Have I mentioned that I hate hospitals?

"Uh, Rude…"

He looked at me and seemed to understand.

"Listen, partner, I'm gonna be here the entire time. Rufus already gave me permission. We just want to figure out what's going on."

I nodded, but I still didn't feel any better. I hate doctors, I hate hospitals, I fucking hate it all! But I fucking wanted to find out what was up. I needed to know what this whole Argos deal was.

A nurse came in and asked that I change into the hospital gown. As I did that, Rude went to get cleaned up and sterilized. I felt very exposed as a cool breeze blew up the back end. I seethed, hating the fact that my ass was open for all eyes. I mean, it's one thing if I'm at a bar showing off, and it's another to have creepy doctors and nurses staring at me like a piece of meat.

Another nurse came in and sat me down as he drew a blood sample. Once he disappeared, I was left there to wait until the doctor came in. A few minutes of fidgeting and shaking my leg nervously, and something weird happened. I had to take a piss. I REALLY had to piss.

I looked around and didn't see anyone. Trying to ignore the feeling, my mind drifted to Cloud; our argument was just stupid, and I couldn't believe that his chicken tasted so terrible. He _never_ cooked that bad. Then my mind drifted back to the thoughts of my bladder. I wondered where the bathroom was, but I couldn't remember seeing any of them on the way over here. I took to pacing to try to keep my mind off of my predicament, but I began to tremble with the need to freakin' piss. Now where the hell was a damn person so I could find a fucking bathroom!?

At that moment, a little lady nurse came in with a tray full of different color coded needles. Her graying brown hair was tied up in a neat loose bun at the back of her head and she looked like a nice little lady, but at the moment there was only one painful thing on my mind. I didn't lose the chance to practically jumped her.

"Where the fuck is the bathroom, lady!?"

She jumped back and stared at me with wide eyes. "Uh, i-it's down the hall to the left, take a-another left, and it is on t-the right."

Damn! Why did it have to be complicated to go to the bathroom? No time to complain.

I began jogging down the hall, no longer concerned about my skinny ass mooning random people. That was a far better option than losing bowel control before reaching the lavatories.

"Left, left, right," I whispered over and over as I went down the long cold hallways. "Left, left, right."

After a few minutes, I found the bathroom and barreled in. I lifted up the front of my gown and finally relieved myself at the urinal. I couldn't help but sigh in relief. In sure I don't need to go into explicit detail, but I was quite relieved. It was a good thing that I had great control over my body.

As I exited the bathroom, a wave of nausea stopped me dead in my tracks. I fell right into the wall and began to dry heave. I saw the hallway spinning, and felt sick. My reaction to the Mako was getting worse and worse, and the symptoms were getting stronger. However, I needed to know what was going on, so I forced myself to rush back to the surgery room. A few minutes later, Rude came in with scrubs and some plastic gloves. I grinned mischievously.

"Yo, Rude, ain't you supposed to have a hair cap or something? Oh wait, you don't _have_ any hair!"

I laughed out loud with fake happiness. I felt obligated to my best friend to keep a good attitude up. He didn't need to know that I was feeling like shit, or that I was almost ready to put Rufus's Ivory Reaper up to my temple. No, he deserved to think that I was unaffected, calm, and a constant idiot.

"Hey Reno, what are you wearing a handkerchief for? Oh wait, I forgot, your skinny ass is too small to fit in _normal _stuff."

I stuck my tongue out at him. He attacked my visibly small frame. So what if I was wearing a size "extra small"? Big oaf.

"Loser."

He smiled confidently. Yes, he didn't need to know; it was so much better to see him like this. At that moment, however, a wave of nausea hit and I swooned, nearly falling off of the metal table. Luckily, Rude caught me, saving me from another broken nose.

"Shit, Reno! What the fuck? Are you ok?"

I grabbed his arm tightly, letting this wave pass just as the other one did. He rubbed my back and held me up to his chest. In a few minutes it was over, and I looked up into those dark lenses.

"'S ok, Rude. No biggie…."

This time he didn't look so convinced that I was being honest. A doctor walked in before he could question me further, and raised an inquiring eyebrow.

"Are you Reno Stryker?" he asked in a nasally voice. I shuddered.

"Listen, it's Reno, yo. I'm a Turk."

He just nodded and wrote on his clipboard.

"Please step over here on the scale."

I grimaced. This was my least favorite parts of a check up. Besides getting needles shoved into my veins and doctors of both genders groping at my body freely, of course. Rude watched me very carefully as I stepped down and went to the stupid scale. I stepped on it and braced myself to hear the same speech all over again.

"Mr. Reno! W-what?" He tapped the scale needle several times before he was sure that it wasn't lying. "Do you realize that you're only one hundred pounds?!"

"Shit, just do your job, and leave me alone about my weight."

"It's not healthy at all!"

"Shut up! I hear it all the time!"

He shook his head in disbelief and even Rude frowned in disappointment. I winced remembering that I had promised to get to one hundred and twelve pounds the next time I got a check up. Instead I had lost five.

"Don't ya dare say anything, partner, this doesn't count."

"The hell it doesn't," he mumbled. "I won't say anything this time…"

The doctor scribbled furiously on his clipboard, taking notes in handwriting that made my chicken scratch look legible. Sheesh, now Rude couldn't complain about it.

"Now, please, step over here," the man continued.

I walked over to the wall with the measurements notched in it. I leaned back like a good boy and waited.

"Uh, Reno, you need to stand straight," he said.

"I am standing straight, yo."

"N-no, you're slouching."

"Just take the fucking measurement."

The small man gave Rude a pleading look, and my partner nodded.

"Reno, don't be difficult. Just stand up straight for five damn seconds."

I growled in frustration, I really _really _hated doctors and their stupid check ups. Nonetheless, I listened to my bald friend and stretched out my body to its full height. Five seconds was all, though.

Next, I had to endure the bastard touching my chest, and listening to my heart. Then he listened to my breathing, yada, yada, yada. Finally, he got the needle and took a large amount of my blood. When he left, I leaned back and sighed in relief.

"'S almost done, right, partner?"

Rude nodded and came close to my side. He took my hand and unclenched the stiff fingers; heh, I never even noticed that I was so tense. Then that glorious comb was pulled out of his dark pocket and I practically whimpered in glee. He pulled my hair out from under my head and began to untangle the knots starting from the bottom. There was still dried blood, and gore in my hair, but he kept going; slowly and carefully. Little waves of pleasure cascaded over my body as each strand of hair was gently pulled, and teased free from their messy tangles. No man could comb hair as good as Rude could; I don't know, maybe it has something to do with his longing for hair himself, but he was the only other person, besides myself, that I would allow near my crimson tresses.

By Ifrit, I would rather die than let Cloud do it! That guy has never even looked at a comb until we started sleeping together. Believe me when I say that he has absolutely NO talent in the art of hair combing. The one time I allowed him to try, and I nearly went to work as bald as Rude. Never again.

Another doctor walked in and I thought that I was finally seeing the end of the tunnel.

"Yo, can I leave now?"

The lady looked at me.

"Of course not, it's time for the second part of your check up."

I paled.

"W-wha? No fucking way!"

"Mr. Stryker, we are dealing with your life here. We need to be thorough, no exceptions."

She was making sense, but I didn't like it one bit. I bit my lip in frustration but leaned back ready for more abuse.

"Just hurry and get it over with."

"Please lay still, I need to scan your internal organs and check for internal bleeding."

I did as I was told and didn't move. She spread cold jelly-like shit all over my chest and stomach before she turned some weird machine on. After making a shit load of noise, it clicked and turned off. The doctor got a towel with some cleaning solution and, thankfully, got that goo all off. Once she was done, the lady took her readings and left.

"Damn, I hope that NOW they're done…fucking hate doctors…"

Rude patted my head affectionately and finished combing my ratty hair out. This time, a nurse walked in and cleared out the room and added some sitting chairs before taking another vial of blood.

"Don't worry, the testing is done. The doctors will be here in a few moments, so please just relax."

The nurse gave me a blanket to cover up while I waited for even more doctors to tell me my fate. As soon as she left, another wave of dizziness and nausea came, but this time I recovered quickly. Rude still noticed, unfortunately. Instead of being all impatient for the doctors I decided to lie down and chill. Finally, a moment to rest…

Twenty minutes later, three different doctors came in, followed by Rufus, Tseng, and Elena. All of them wore serious expressions.

"Lighten up, yo! Can't be too bad, 'cause I've seen a lot worse before."

I tried my best to keep my mask of stability and carefree up. I didn't feel very carefree right now, what with my Ma, the crazy doctors, Argos, the fact that I might be dying, _and_ my argument with Cloud. Yeah, I was feeling like shit, but my friends needed to see me strong; just like with Rude, everyone just needed me to be strong for them.

"Mr. Stryker, I assure you that things are indeed serious," one of the doctors started. "Please, everyone, sit down."

The other Turks shared a look and sat down. Rufus held his impenetrable mask up.

"We were correct. The Mako inside your body is having an unusual reaction. It is all concentrating to one portion of your body, yet your body seems to absorb it at will. It doesn't get absorbed by all of your cells like it normally would. Instead, the Mako seems to exist in you stably until your cells _choose_ to absorb it."

I was getting confused with all his talk, like, was it good or bad?

"Uh, I ain't seeing where you're goin' with this."

"Just listen, Mr. Stryker," another doctor chimed in.

"Just, Reno, I'm a Turk."

He nodded and picked up where the first one left off.

"You have a unique condition that has never been seen before, Reno. The ability to choose _when_ you absorb the Mako is phenomenal in itself, but the most intriguing part is that your cells use only the pure essence of the Mako. Then it takes what is left, the impurities, and recycles them!"

The doctor was pretty excitable by now, waving his arms around and pacing. I still wondered where this was leading to. I really wished that the doctors would just get to the damn point. I saw that Rude was feeling the same way I was, if not a little more violent. His fingers kept clenching and unclenching around an imaginary neck. Tseng was looking interested in all that was being said, Elena was looking sharp since she couldn't really understand what they were babbling about, and I couldn't read the Boss's face. A strange and dangerous glint in his eye was the only hint of what was going on inside his scheming brain.

I turned my attention back on the doctors and found that they were giving details on how exactly my damn cells were separating and recycling the Mako. This was ridiculous, I just wanted to know if I was gonna die or not!

"SHUT UP!!!" I screamed. They all looked at me in surprise. "Listen up, yo. I'm tired, I need a good deep bath, and my bare ass is freezing on this freakin' steel table! Let's move this ON! You said something about the Mako focusing in one area of my body. Where and why?"

No one moved or spoke; deathly silent. I felt a cold chill run through my body. Every eye turned to the last doctor. She was a middle aged woman with her short graying hair in a braid; her eyes softened as she looked at me.

"Reno, the Mako is gathering in your abdomen, more specifically, in your womb."

My mouth dropped stupidly as I gaped at her in shock. I looked at the others and saw that my shock was reflected on their faces. Rufus had paled considerably but he didn't seem as shocked. My chest tightened as I thought that he knew more about me than I did. I looked back at the doctor and she continued.

"Your womb is very different from a normal one. It seems to be composed of mostly pure Mako; the rest is a strange tissue and blood. It looks like your body took the Mako and made a womb to harbor a child. We don't understand why at the moment."

Gulp. "A child?"

"Yes, Reno, you are pregnant."

I almost fainted right there. And I had been worried about Cloud getting pregnant!!! Look, now I was carrying a fucking BABY!

"There is a problem, though…"

"WHAT? Like being pregnant isn't a problem in itself?!" I screamed, nearing hysterical.

The doctors shared a look before deciding to continue.

"We were getting different and garbled DNA codes. Every time we tried to get information, our readings would come out unintelligible." Another glance at each other. "So we decided to check your DNA."

I looked around in exasperation; I was fucking tired of these damn idiots skirting around the damn issue!

"GET TO THE DAMN POINT YOU MOTHERFUCKERS!!!"

A pause. "Your DNA has mutated, Reno."

That painful choking silence swallowed the room. I couldn't understand it. Why was this shit happening to me? My head began to swim as yet another dizzy spell hit me.

"Wha-what do ya mean?"

"When you entered Shinra as a Turk, samples of your DNA were required for identification. At that time, your DNA was coded a little strangely, but we didn't think anything of it. When we scanned you after that incident, its readings were chaotic. At first we thought that we just got a bad sample; that was not the case. The coding of your DNA is not normal, almost to the point of being inhuman, yet somehow your body has only had minimal change."

The doctor stopped, giving me time to soak it all in. So I was a freak; all that big talk boiled down to five small words. I was a fucking freak.

A large hand on my shoulder took me out of my daze and I looked up into Rude's perfectly controlled face. He squeezed reassuringly and I knew that he was letting me know that he would always be there. Elena was sitting there staring at my stomach like she expected to see the baby moving. Tseng looked frazzled by the news; heh, he was way out of his comfort zone. Finally, my eyes rested on my Boss. His eyes were closed as if he was having an internal struggle. He knew something about me, something important. I needed to hear it.

"Boss, please," I asked quietly. I look at him with imploring and desperate eyes. "I _need _to know! I just- please?!"

Icy blue eyes were revealed from their veil of flesh and looked me straight in the eye.

"Step out for a moment, good doctors. We aren't through, but I need to discuss something with my Turks."

The doctors obeyed him immediately, but they didn't look too happy. Tseng got up and, out of habit, locked the door and made sure that we were not being eavesdropped on. He nodded and took a seat. Rufus sat back and drummed his fingers against the arm of the chair. He paused for a moment to gather his thoughts, then addressed us in his calm, commanding voice.

"Everything that I am about to say is strictly confidential, and will _not_ be disclosed outside this group under any circumstance." My shoulders slumped in disappointment when I realized that I was being asked to leave. "Reno, because of the present situation, I have re-instated you as the second-in-command of the Turks. But understand this, I cannot risk anymore disloyalty. Do not fail me again, as I would hate to lose an excellent and experienced Turk like you."

"I promise, Boss, never again," I replied eagerly.

A lump formed in my throat and tears threatened to fall. These people here were my family. Being let back in was such a relief that all of the joy didn't really have a place to go. I wiped my eyes, and a large honest smile spread across my face. Even all of the terrible news could not dampen my spirit at that moment. The prodigal son was back. The other Turks gave me quick smiles before turning their attention back to the president. He had leaned forward, and his voice seemed to have a secret and ominous tone to it. We were about to finally get some truth.

"Now, what I am about to tell you all started back about eighteen years ago. It all starts with my personal tutor, Mrs. June Argos."


	7. Veritas: part 3

**Chapter 7: Veritas: part 3**

**THANK YOU ICELADY FOR BETAING!! This chapter goes to you.**

"Now, what I am about to tell you all started back about eighteen years ago. It all starts with my personal tutor, Mrs. June Argos."

When those words came out, I found that I wasn't really surprised. It only confirmed my theory that Rufus knew a lot more than I did about the situation.

"Back then, my father still had his hopes of making me his puppet, so he found only the best of tutors for me. No expense was spared giving me a most thorough education. That is how I first met Mrs. Argos. She and her husband were successful geneticists, and she was a certified teacher. I thought that she was going to act like all my other tutors who treated me as an incompetent brat and acted superior, but I was pleasantly surprised."

Rufus paused for a moment, and seemed to think about his next words.

"Boss, please don't tip-toe around the issue," I asked. He was going to reveal something big and he was trying to let it down easily. "We're all adults, and we're all family, yo. I'm freakin' nervous about this whole thing, but I would rather hear it straight out and from you."

On impulse, I hopped off the table and went in front of him. Everyone was watching in surprise as I outstretched my arms and pulled him into a warm hug. I felt ashamed for hiding my relationship with Cloud from them. This _was_ my family, right here. I pulled away and sat at his feet even though it was cold in that dress thing. Rufus took his coat off and put it around my shoulders and we shared a meaningful look.

"Very well. I've gotten my information from several sources and at different times, so only now am I looking back with a mostly complete picture." He took a deep breath and continued. "Mrs. Argos was the best tutor I ever had and treated me with respect that I had to earn. She recognized my intelligence and began to tell me strange things. She would actually mention some of the genetic experiments that she and her husband were being forced to do. She told me of the foolishness of such experiments, but many things I could not understand until I became older. Early one morning, she rushed into my room and shook me awake. She was frantic and there was blood all over her; I was terrified but she told me that she needed me. I stayed quiet and listened to her. She told me that they killed her husband and were after her. 'They know our secret,' she whispered. When I asked her what secret, she smiled sadly and told me this. 'The world's inevitable end, chaos, conceived the judgment, damnation. The ruby of Fate will be placed in your hands. Protect it, lest all is lost.' She forced me to memorize this word for word. Afterwards, she left and I never saw her again."

My nose wrinkled as I tried to comprehend those words. I remembered something from science, like a law that states that everything will fall to chaos.

"The Second Law of Thermodynamics," Tseng said, voicing what everyone was thinking. "But what does that have to do with any of this?"

A humorless smile spread across Rufus's face.

"That's what I thought too. It took years of hacking into my father's secret files, the science confidential files, and 'persuading' people to give me most of the information that I needed. A few years before I was born, my father was having an affair with a rebellious young woman. At about this time two young doctors by the name of Argos theorized that the Sephiroth was not stable and that he would eventually degenerate mentally. Most scientists disagreed with them, and funding for their own experiments was refused. Then there is a twelve month gap where the only thing I know is that my father got the woman pregnant, so he left her in order to save his career. After this year of silence, I found a report by Mrs. Argos stating that their private experiments have been successful, and that the 'Leviathan' had gone into hiding for her safety."

In a flash I was on my feet, and I felt all the blood drain from my face. That can't be, no…

"I got to go," I whispered before rushing out of the room. I brushed past the three protesting doctors and grabbed my clothes from the front desk. I got dressed hastily and caught a taxi.

"Where to?"

"Purgatory."

The driver shook his head but drove on.

"_I will survive, you see, because I'm the Leviathan."_

My eyes slit and I felt the anger bubbling up.

"A _strong and graceful creature…"_

Now I was walking briskly down the alleyways, my destination drawing nearer.

"…_you are my son."_

I pounded on the shabby door, making it shake in its frame. The door unlocked and Logan peeked out fearfully.

"W-what be goin' on, man? Your eyes a-are…"

"Where is she?" I hissed, not having the patience to deal with him.

He stepped aside and pointed to the guest bedroom. I pushed him aside and marched into the room. Large innocent eyes looked up from his play to watch me, and my Ma's worn eyes looked up too. She paled and clutched her son closer to her breast.

"You stupid, selfish, whore!" I screeched. "What the hell am I?!"

Her son shuddered in fear and my Ma's eyes watered.

"R-reno, what re you t-talking about?"

I saw it in her eyes, more lies.

"Liar! I want the fucking truth!"

Ma shuddered and gave her little boy a quick squeeze.

"Leo, please go with Mr. Logan," she whispered. The little kid kissed her cheek and left the room. It was just the two of us.

"Tell me everything," I hissed. I had no more patience for her lies.

"I thought he was different, that he cared," she started. She couldn't even look me in the eye. "I was so fucking stupid. As soon as I got pregnant, he found out and left me alone to fend for myself. I was sixteen, Reno! What else could I have done, yo? My parents kicked me out, I was pregnant, and I couldn't find a job; what the fuck was I supposed to do?!"

She took a deep breath to calm down and I sat down before my legs gave out. It was almost too much to take in, all of it. So she was whoring for Rufus's dad, which makes me the bastard son. My boss's older half brother.

"A man named Frederic Argos and his wife June offered to take me in an' to take care of everything if I let them use my baby for a few tests. I decided ta allow it 'cause it was better than aborting the baby. They made me unconscious during the procedures, and I never asked what they did. I was still a child, Reno, I was too scared to care."

Each word cut deeper into my heart. I knew that I wasn't a loved child, but it still hurt to hear it. To hear that I would have been killed before I had a chance to live, to love, to exist, was utter torture. But was the alternate any better? I was used, that my mother might live.

"About six months into the pregnancy, a strange pain hit me and the stress pushed me into labor. There was so much pain, yo, an' I was so scared that I was gonna die. June held my hand for hours as Frederic tried to stop the baby from coming out, 'cause if it died, all of their work was for nothing. He worked hard, but I still gave birth to a tiny baby boy. He was born on June 6, an' I remember lookin' out to see the full moon. Even back then, I knew it was a bad omen. The doctors did everything that they could to keep him alive, but for several days he stayed on the verge of death."

She paused and her eyes watered.

"What happened?" I asked gruffly. This was all too planned out, to structurally weird.

"I remember it clearly, who wouldn't? It was a deathly dark night, no moon could be seen. I was in the bed in a fitful sleep, still exhausted from having the baby to the mere age of seventeen. Then…I heard…heard that terrible scream! The hair rose all over my body an' my blood seemed ta freeze, but I couldn't help but head towards the frightening noise. I walked to my baby and saw him screaming in pain, thick tears pouring out of those blood red eyes. I c-couldn't force myself to touch him, and I couldn't stand seeing him in such pain either. The doctors came in and I told them to make it stop, I didn't w-want him to cry anymore. I threatened to kill him myself just to end his pain if they didn't do something. That's when they told me what they had been doing to him. A scientist had found an ancient demon, a god possibly, but she had to seal it inside of some human's body. Frederick had an opportunity to study the creature, but when they found that it could not produce a child, they began to look for another way to use its power in a human. They took the monster's cells and had been injecting my boy with them. Those bastards had been fusing my b-baby with a monster. But after he was born, his little body was trying ta reject it. They said that if we did anything to stop the pain, or the struggle, they were afraid that their research would be ruined. Both of those doctors forced me to endure those horrid screams, day after agonizing day. Three days later, everything was silent. I ran to check on my baby and he glared at me with bright green eyes; I could have sworn that they had been red. My little baby was staring at me with such hatred, and I- I've never forgotten that damning look. Ever since then, I have been so scared of you, Reno."

I hit the wall with the back of my head several times. How could I be expected to believe all of this? It was like listening to a strange fairy tale that wasn't going to end well at all, and it only wore down on my nerves even more.

"The world's inevitable end, chaos, conceived the judgment, damnation," I mumbled. "Chaos, that's the demon sealed inside Valentine…he conceived by you the…judgment? Am I Damnation?"

My mind was reeling. Some pieces of the puzzle were falling in perfect place, while others still didn't seem to fit.

"Reno?" my mother asked, but I continued to talk to myself.

"The ruby of Fate will be placed in your hands…well, I am at his total command." My finger twirled around one of my bangs slowly. "Protect it, lest all is lost? What the hell could that mean?"

"Reno? Please talk to me!"

I looked up at her with indifference.

"Why should I? You never told me the truth, and you never bothered to look for me, so why the hell would I say anything to you, _Leviathan_?"

"T-that's not true, yo! I-"

"Shut up! You are nothing but a freakin' whore who turned her child into some damn monster! You know what? Just shut the hell up and stay fucking put! There are some sick fuckers after my lover, and they'll do anything to get to him! The last thing I need is you to get killed 'cause of your stupidity!"

Ugh, the dizzy spell hit in full force, churning my empty stomach.

"Did you say 'he'?" she whispered.

"Yeah, so?" I grumbled starting to feel sick to my stomach.

"Reno," her voice was very firm, "I know we were poor and I didn't teach you much, but I taught you better than that. We're not animals."

This was just getting shittier wasn't it? "Fuck you, Ma. You don't know shit about me or him, so don't tell me what to do. Besides, how does liking a guy make me an anim-"

The rest of my sentence was interrupted by vomit spewing out of my mouth. It was burning and painful, and I couldn't stop the dry heaving for a while because of my empty stomach. My body had finally had enough. All I needed was some fucking sleep and some food. I slapped my Ma's hand away as she reached to touch me. A shaky hand wiped some of the bile from my mouth as I brought my body under control.

"Clean this up," I croaked. "Stay in hiding, and I'll be back."

I forced myself up and staggered out of the house. Time didn't seem to register in my mind; the only thing I could think of was a nice warm bed, a home. Before I realized it, I was knocking on the back door of Seventh Heaven.

"What the fuck?" I asked myself aloud.

"I should be asking the same thing, Reno."

I whirled around and came face to face with Cloud.

There was mechanical grease all over his hands and forearms trailing up to his torn up and dirty T-shirt. His frayed jeans hugged his legs just right, just enough to make him so damn sexy. My mouth gaped open as I tried to come up with a good reason for being here.

"Did you come for some more chicken?" he asked bitterly.

"No! I mean, sorry about the chicken, it was just me, an' not your cookin', but that's not why I'm here! I mean, like, I was just trying to find home and a nice bed to sleep, and-"

Cloud raised his pointer finger and cut my rambling. He looked hard at me and raised an eyebrow.

"You said you were looking for your home, so why'd you end up here?"

"Uh, 'cause you're here," I blurted out before I could stop myself.

My hand came over my mouth and I was furious with myself for saying such a thing. How stupid could I be?

"Reno! Are you ok? You don't look so good!"

My head snapped up too fast sending my vision reeling and I stumbled forward right into his strong chest. Steely arms automatically wrapped protectively around me.

"You're burning up! What the hell happened to you?!"

I groaned in exhaustion. The blood rushing through my veins pounded through my head, echoing in my ears. The sound drowned out all other sound, intensifying every passing second. I just let myself go, hoping that Cloud wouldn't just leave me.

* * *

_The darkness swirled around me, stroking my pale skin. Strangely, I didn't feel cold; instead, warmth coursed around me, pulsing with life. Rough clawed hands ran up my arms slowly, careful not to hurt me. The deep voice singing to me, slowly, washing over my soul itself. I felt so much better than I have in quite a while. It felt so very warm…_

* * *

Fingers ran through my hair slowly, rubbing my scalp gently. The blankets wrapped around my body like a cocoon of protection and I just rested. It took a few minutes before I realized that there were voices speaking.

"So he'll be ok?"

That was Cloud, and it almost sounded like he actually cared. Well, ok, it sounded a lot like he cared, it just surprised me.

"I can't guarantee that, but he's a strong person."

Well, ain't it my lucky day. The other voice belonged to none other than Vincent Valentine. Both of them remained silent for a while, and it took me a few minutes before I could actually open my eyes. As soon as they cracked open, Valentine spoke.

"You are finally awake, Reno."

"Yeah, I guess so…"

Cloud caressed my cheek and lifted up my chin to look into my eyes.

"Hey, baby, are you ok?"

I nodded and placed my hand over his. Damn, those eyes of his were gorgeous.

"I'm a bit hungry, yo. Do you mind if I get something to eat?"

Cloud shook his head.

"Just stay here, and I'll get you some food. Don't worry, I won't cook anything."

I frowned and felt bad that he was still fussing over my, er, rejection, of his chicken. It wasn't his fault in the least bit. Still, he shouldn't still be acting like a big crybaby.

"Listen, kitten, that chicken was fine. I was just going through some stuff, and ended up losing my appetite. It wasn't you, ok? Don't blame yourself, and just so you know, some of your homemade gyros sounds real good about now."

I stuck out my tongue at him in good humor and he smiled.

"Well, I guess you'll want a few beers with that, huh?"

"Ah, uh, kitten, I'll just take some juice. You know, to help me feel better and stuff, yo."

My lover looked quite shocked at this but after a quick glance at Vincent, he decided to just get my food. Once he left the room, I could feel red eyes boring into the back of my head.

"Reno, there is something you're hiding, is there not?"

Man, did this guy know everything? His creepy factor just went up a notch. I decided to turn and face the man I was going to talk to. There was no reason to hide it from him, since I suspected that he knew what was wrong already. Damn, this guy was just like Rufus.

I was quite shocked when instead of looking into scarlet intelligent eyes, I was faced with golden feral ones. His skin was paler (like it already wasn't pale enough) and his very aura seemed to have changed.

"You're Chaos, aren't you," I whispered.

It wasn't that I was scared, just…I'm not sure. Seeing the entity that had been fused into my cells for the first time like that, it was a strange feeling.

"And you are my only child." His guttural voice sent shivers up my limbs.

"Yeah, I guess so. How long have you known without telling me?"

A strange smile spread across his lips. "I have known ever since I first laid eyes on you. However, I don't always tell Vincent everything; he knew nothing until just now."

"Is that so?"

"But I was pretty sure I had a son, not a daughter."

I was a little dumbstruck. That sarcastic bastard!

"I _am_ a boy…I just got issues…" I mumbled.

"I'll say," he snorted.

"Listen, yo! You're awfully cheeky for being some ancient demon, what, did Mr. Creepy here give you a lesson in humor?"

"This stiff couldn't teach a hyena to laugh."

Any tension in the room immediately broke, and a smile easily crossed my lips. Maybe this demon guy wasn't so bad. He was definitely an improvement compared to all the other people I've been introduced to lately.

"So, like, can I tell you stuff and Vincent not know it?"

An eyebrow rose up. "Yes, but why would you? Do you need to tell _me_ something? We just met…not including any AVALANCHE, Shinra encounters, of course."

He was right, why should I trust him? For the first time in my life, I felt the urge to just let it all out. I wanted to talk about the whole mess, about how I felt, I just wanted someone, anyone, to care enough to listen.

Chaos stared at me in a confused manner as I struggled with my emotions. Suddenly, it looked like a light went off in his head and he tried to hide the large smirk on his face with his hand, coughing to cover up the laugh.

"What the heck, yo? What now?"

"You're in deep shit, kid." He took a deep breath to keep from laughing. "Let me fill you in on something. What you got going on isn't natural, but your body is sure as hell trying to make it natural."

My hand slipped down to my thigh. "Bu-"

"Listen, idiot. Your body has been dumping a shit load of estrogen into your system, so…"

Hmmm, estrogen sounded familiar…what was it? It took me all of twenty seconds before I understood what he meant.

"Oh, SHIT NO!!!" The deep guttural laugh that came out of Chaos would have been hilarious if I wasn't the one he was laughing at. "You mean I got girl hormones raging through me? And a lot of it?!"

That's what that horrid feeling was! Wanting to talk about my inner feelings, bull shit! My stupid body was betraying me!

"You might want to give that Strife boy a heads up, though. So when you start asking him to get you some nail polish, he won't be caught unawares."

"Shut up!" I hissed. "The last thing I need is for Cloud to find out that I'm pregnant!" I made sure that my voice was a harsh whisper. Who knows what my boyfriend would do if he found out about that.

"Huh? Why? Doesn't the father have the right to know about his child?"

"What the hell are you-"

Golden eyes bore into me in disbelief. I stared back. No…this isn't right, it's impossible. It's…

"You don't know?" he mumbled. "Hmmm, interesting…"

"What do you mean," I asked slowly.

"I can sense a great many things, and I see more than you ever will, little boy. Your womb is a Mako cocoon. I assumed that they were Cloud's considering that one smells strongly of him. Now that you mention it though…hmm, yeah, that other one doesn't have his scent. Tch, you've been pretty busy with some SOLDIERS haven't you?"

Dear Bahamut, strike me dead. Now. Wait, this must all be a really fucked up dream, that's it. Me and Rude were on some mission, and I got the shit kicked out of me. I must be in a hospital in a coma, resting. That's all there is to it. I want to wake up now.

The telephone rang loudly, sending me sprawling on the floor when I jumped right off of the bed. I settled my breathing down expecting Cloud to pick up the phone downstairs, but it kept ringing. After one more ring, it stopped. Complete silence fell over the entire house. Wasn't there supposed to be the sound of cooking, of little children running, of something? Chaos and I shared a look, and the phone began ringing again. With cautious fingers, I picked up the receiver and placed it to my ear.

"Yo?"

"Hello, Mr. Stryker. I'm tired of waiting for cooperation from you and Cloud, so Damon and I have taken a new approach. We set off Hojo's backup plan. You might want to check up on your lover, Reno. Things are about to get real messy."


	8. Textus Unus

**Chapter 8: Textus Unus**

**The **_**Textus**_** chapters are dedicated to both my beta IceLady, and to one of my favorite fans/friends, Kigichi. Please enjoy.**

"Hello, Mr. Stryker. I'm tired of waiting for cooperation from you and Cloud, so Damon and I have decided to take a new approach. We set off Professor Hojo's backup plan. You might want to check up on your lover, Reno, things are about to get real messy."

My heart almost stopped and I looked over at Chaos and signaled for him to check on Cloud. He moved almost faster than my eyes could see, and I was left in the room by myself with a crazy bitch on the line.

"C'mon, ya can't keep doing this shit to us, yo! Why're you so hooked up on all of Hojo's work? It's all bad news and you should know that more than any of us!"

"Now, now, Reno, it's not _all_ bad news. Finding out that you are Argos's experimental child is excellent news for us and the work we plan to do."

I couldn't help the sigh that passed my chapped lips. "What do you want from us now?"

"It's very kind of you to ask! After Sephiroth failed, Hojo began to search for the solution to the mental degeneration problems. Genesis and Sephiroth both carried it, and he didn't want any more of their destructive kinds around."

"What does this have to do with me?"

Hmmm, Genesis sounded vaguely familiar, but I let that pass without devoting too much attention. Sephiroth I knew, and I would focus on him for now.

"Not you, Reno, it has everything to do with Cloud."

My blood ran cold and I looked down the hall worriedly. What more did that crazy hack-job do to Cloud?

"Just get to the point, lady," I hissed.

She chuckled at my impatience and continued. "Hojo experimented on several subjects with the idea of the artificial womb, but none of them survived. Finally, he created a hormonal sequence that would trigger a SOLDIER's body into creating a womb and releasing the artificial sperm and egg to create another Sephiroth child. This new child, however, was hypothetical and whether or not the entire procedure worked was up for debate. Only two SOLDIERs survived the experiment, and as of today, only one is alive. For now, that is."

My mind raced and made the connections easily. It made me sick, thinking that Hojo's transgressions never seemed to end. Poor Fair and Cloud were made into time bombs, waiting for something to trigger this abomination. And to think that at this moment Cloud was feeling all of that pain…

"So, bitch, why'd you do it now and not in the first place?"

"Well, considering that Professor Hojo's experiment was never tested, Damon and I didn't want to risk it with the only possible carrier alive. But now that we found you, we decided to give it a try. There is, of course, a high failure rate, especially in a failed clone like Cloud."

My hand went to my stomach and held it and I let out a stream of curse words.

"Cloud's strong, and he's gonna live through anything that you put him through! And I am not, I repeat, _not_ doing anything to help you and your crazy husband create a destroyer of the world! Oh, and for your information, I will personally kick you ass when we find you!"

"I expect nothing less, my dear Damnation. However, you have to catch me first. That, and you have to beat your own biological countdown."

"What, am I gonna go through menopause too?" I asked sarcastically.

"Well, if I told you everything now, where would the fun be in that?"

"It doesn't matter, we're still going to stop you both."

"You're welcome to try."

The tone beeped in my ear for a moment when she hung up, and then I slammed down the receiver and ran down the stairs. Once I made it into the kitchen I saw Vincent looking Cloud over. There was sweat running down in his face and it was contorted in pain. Rich crimson blood dribbled from his lip as he bit down on it to keep silent. The brunette looked up at me.

"Reno, what did she say?"

"Er, she said that Hojo had done some experiments on Cloud and set it up so that his damn successors could trigger some serious messed up shit. Cloud's body is trying to form a womb on its own and trying to conceive the kid that Hojo had set in there."

Vincent's eyebrows shot up and Cloud turned to me with an absolutely horrified look.

"What the fuck?! My b-body's trying to make a baby?!"

He winced again as the pain overtook him. I fell to my knees beside him and rubbed his shoulders. The look he gave me kind of stung; it was a look of disgust, or horror, the look you would give to a monster. Yeah, what he was repulsed by was what was happening in my body. I couldn't help but wonder if he would find me gross, maybe even to the point of never love…liking me again. This was exactly why I wasn't going to tell him about my issues.

"There's nothing we can do for you right now, babe. I really wish that I could help you, but since I can't I've got a better idea."

Vincent looked warily at me. "And what would that be?"

"I'm gonna catch those crazy people, and I'm going to shove my EMR down their damn throats. Once that's done, I'm gonna boil their flesh and feed it to the creatures down in Midgar's center."

The vehemence in my voice was a little surprising to myself, but I meant every word of it. Those doctors had been a pain in my ass for far too long, and I was going to end it soon. Cloud's dark blue eyes looked up into mine intensely.

"I want to be there when you do it," he strained out. "I want to help you find them."

He curled up a little more, trying to get over the pain.

"Not this time, kitten. You need rest and Vincent here is gonna take good care of you. Leave the work to me, but I'll make sure that you get payback too." I looked at Vincent. "Can I trust you to make sure that he'll be ok?"

"Of course, but you need to be careful yourself. These people are very dangerous, so you need as much help as you can get."

I felt a feral smile pull at the corners of my lips. "I've got all of the help that I'll need," I assured him.

Me and Vincent carried Cloud up to the bedroom before I left and made my way to the new Shinra Tower. Finding those sneaky bastards was going to be a very difficult task and I needed the best equipment for that. Only the Shinra Company had what I needed. No one could hide very long from the Turks when they put their minds to it, and this seemed to be a priority right now.

Once I reached the Tower, the front desk had a message for me from Rude. It read "Meet me up in our office." I dragged myself up to the elevator, suddenly realizing how sick and tired I was feeling. My head was spinning, so I rested it against the cold glass panes on the elevator. The constant binging sound started to grate on my nerves. I glared at the little light that blinked when a new floor was reached, and I was highly tempted to break it.

Before I had the chance to, though, the door opened letting me off on my floor. I sauntered over to the cubicles where all of us Turks worked on our stuff. Only Tseng had an entire room to himself. The rest of the rooms were used for storage at the moment since we were still sorting out the old place's stuff. My acute eyes instantly spotted all of my fellow Turks. Elena was bent over her report at her desk, Tseng was drumming his fingers on his cherry wood desk, his eyes gazing at nothing in particular, and Rude was dialing my number on his company-issue cell. Before my phone even had a chance to ring, I was standing behind my partner. The song "Who Am I" rang loudly making Rude jump straight into the air. Even Elena jumped.

"Oh, it's just you, Reno," she gasped clutching her chest.

Rude flipped his phone shut.

"Hn, there you are."

"Yeah, 'm right here, yo. Whaddaya need?"

Rude just stood up and walked out, so I took the hint and followed him. We walked to the break room where the eternal smell of burnt coffee stung at my super sensitive nose. I sat on the edge of the couch and my fingers twitched nervously; man, I really, _really_ wanted a drag right now…

"Where've you been, partner?" he asked quietly.

"Oh yeah, I forgot ta tell you that I was gonna stay at Cloud's place for some rest. Sorry 'bout that."

"Hn."

I tilted my head knowing that something was seriously bothering Rude and that he wasn't letting me know what it was. His dark eyebrows were furrowed in thought and he fiddled with his new leather gloves.

"What is it, yo? Jus' tell me straight out like ya always do."

Rude removed his sunglasses and looked up at me with those amber eyes. They were filled with worry and wariness.

"Partner, you understand that you've got a real, living baby inside of you, right?"

A block of ice settled in my stomach and my throat tightened uncomfortably.

"Yeah, I know that. What of it?"

"Reno," he sighed. "There's no doubt in my mind that you're planning to continue going after the doctors who did this to you, but I can't let you do that."

How did he—oh that's right. Rude was always able to figure out what no good I was up to. But he had to realize that I absolutely _had_ to do this, and no one was going to talk me out of it.

"C'mon, yo. You of all people should realize how fruitless it is to make me back down from getting my revenge. They…" My eyes narrowed in rage as I thought of my lover in his home, suffering indescribable pain because of those fuckers. "Listen, they did something to Cloud too, and that's crossing the line. There's nothing you can do that will stop me from getting them."

"But, Reno, you have a baby, dammit! You can't just run around recklessly because it's not only you now! Doesn't that mean anything to you?!"

His words stung at me. Of course I knew that there was a baby inside of me, that's why I decided to quit smoking and drinking cold turkey. Nothing short of a baby would make me do something crazy like that. However, the truth was still there; anytime I put myself in danger I was also endangering my baby…babies…whatever. It was useless to try to deny that those little buggers were growing inside of me, and only idiots would deny something that was right up in their face.

"Of course it means somethin' to me! I've stayed clear of drinks and cigs ever since I found out! But getting those crazy fuckers before they do something to someone else is more important than that right now. I've been on plenty of crazy missions, and I've lived through them all, so don't fuss so much. I'll take care of myself, but I damn well refuse to stop my entire life because I'm _pregnant_. Got it?"

"I'm not trying to get you mad, Reno, you know that. I'm just saying that you can't go about being as reckless, because you might survive something crazy, but there is no guarantee that the kid will. I'm looking out for the both of you because you won't."

"Psshhh, you worry too much, Rudo."

I absentmindedly searched my pockets for a cigarette, and he shook his head in defeat. Well, at least he was backing off for now. If I knew anything about my aibou, it was that there was no way he was giving up for good. He'd pick a better moment to try to get me to quit being so reckless.

"Well, Rufus gave you a ton of paper work, so don't make any plans on going anywhere any time soon."

Damn it all, I bet Rufus was feeling the same way as Rude. He would try to keep me as far away from missions as possible.

"Bleh, did you guys forget to get him some coffee or somethin'?"

Rude smiled, remembering all the times I would make the Boss some coffee to get him in a good mood if I wanted something. Yes, I shamelessly tried to bribe him several times. The sad thing is that I'm not even sure if he likes coffee. He just seemed to be in a better mood if I got it for him. Heh, maybe he just liked seeing my ass bringing his "royal highness" a drink. I turned and poured out a cup as Rude walked out of the break room. I was sure that he ran into Elena out there because I heard her eavesdropping on us, but I wasn't mad. I drowned the black drink in milk and sugar knowing that the Boss had a sensitive tongue.

Once the drink was just right, I made my way to the President's office. Unfortunately, I had to take a bathroom break on my way up there, but it wasn't long enough for the coffee to get cold. After the little detour, I went straight up to the lavish room that belonged only to the Boss.

I slammed the door open without knocking, as usual. The large cold room looked nearly naked since it lacked any kind of personal touch. I sighed before planting a large smile on my lips. Rufus was sitting at his desk, typing away on his laptop.

"Hey, Boss! Are ya writing some steamy yaoi again?"

"Hello, Reno," he answered without missing a beat. "Forget to knock again?"

"Ooohh, no proper English today?"

He held out his hand expectantly so I handed him the coffee. Maybe I was getting too comfortable with him; after all, he was my boss. I sat on his desk and looked over at the statistics he was writing out. Hmm, it looked like the Shinra Company was starting to get back into favor, just like I knew it would. He sipped the cool drink, which probably didn't taste very good by now, and I sat there quietly.

"I'm going to guess that you want me to assign all that paperwork to someone else."

"You're just too good, Boss," I snorted, looking towards the large windows off to the side. Man, it would be easy to assassinate the President with such large and clear windows. Well, it would be if they weren't bullet and mako cannon proof. One could never be too careful, especially when he was the most hated man on the PLANET.

"Actually, you came here to talk about something else, didn't you?"

This guy had to be freakin' psychic.

"Well, I guess I did wanna just talk to you about something."

Rufus closed the lid of his computer and pushed it to the side before he leaned back in his large backed leather chair. His slender fingers interlaced and rested on the flat expanse of his stomach. Icy blue eyes that looked as sharp as mine rested on me waiting for me to talk. It was always like this between us, him listening and me talking. To think that he was my younger brother…it was just weird. This intelligent, cold-hearted bastard was my baby half-brother. On a whim, I leaned towards him and tasted those surprisingly soft lips, my fingers ghosting over the soft skin under the Boss's bad eye. Ever since that damn WEAPON's attack, he's been nearly blind in that eye. I pulled back from sucking that plump lower lip that still had the fresh bitter taste of coffee and looked into the curious and analyzing eyes. He had not been fazed one bit by my actions, but would he feel the same way once he knew that we were related, by the same damn old man, nonetheless? One slender eyebrow rose as the corner of his lips curled in amusement.

"Yes?"

"I talked to my Ma, Boss."

"And I would care because—?"

I sighed. "Her code name was the 'Leviathan.'"

I watched as his smile widened a bit and his eyes continued to watch me. To be honest, he didn't look very surprised and that unnerved me a bit.

"There's more you wanted to say, right?"

"Er, yeah. Uh, well, my Ma told me that she fucked with your dad when she was sixteen and got pregnant. Then she made a deal with Argos and her husband and the results of all of their experiments was me. Shiva, please don't tell me you already know."

"Fine, then I won't."

"No fucking way," I groaned. "You knew and you made me confront my Ma anyway?"

Rufus absently looked at the well groomed nails of his right hand. "I didn't make you do anything, Reno. But, if I _could_ make you do something, I would want you to finally confront your mother and settle things instead of blaming her for no reason. It's always better to blame your parents if you have a decent reason to."

"Fuck, how did you know?"

"Who said I already knew?" His smug look was enough proof for me.

"Bastard! Don't toy with me like everyone else!"

There was no hate in my voice, but I didn't want to be manipulated by Rufus. People I didn't know and didn't like were doing enough of that in my life and I didn't want him to do that as well. His eyes never lost their sting and he took another sip of the nasty cold coffee before speaking.

"If you can recall the moment that I was giving all of you Turks an explanation, _you_ ran out before I finished speaking."

I blanched. "Don't tell me you were—"

"I _was_ going to tell you, more likely in a private situation after I was done informing you all on the basics, but yes, I was going to tell you."

All I could do was stare at him with my mouth agape. Once again, my short temper made me do something stupid. "B-but you! Gah, it's no use…" I shook my head helplessly which made my sadistic boss chuckle. "Boss, how is it that you know everything?"

"Now now, Reno, if I knew _everything_, then I would know that you used my Shinra issued credit card to not only furnish your entire apartment, but to also buy lemon flavored condoms as well. Those are the newest flavor you were trying with Cloud, right?"

Ok, I am officially freaked out. THIS GUY FREAKIN' KNOWS EVERYTHING!!!

"Wait, then you knew me and Cloud were getting it on?!"

"Of course."

"Then why the hell did you suspend me?!" I shrieked.

He once again turned his attention to his nice clean nails. "Like the saying goes, no punishments until you get caught. And anyway, I needed to make an example of you. Besides, it was probably for your benefit. Now you'll always be honest with me."

I shuddered thinking about what else he probably knew. I just could not fathom how he got so much information. If the Turks were good at finding information, this guy was an absolute god.

"Um, hey, you're not mad about the kiss are you? Knowing that we're kinda related after all…"

"Of course not. I'm not too picky about who I sleep with."

"Er, ok," I replied, more than a little disturbed. There was almost a hint of bitterness in the words, but it was too little to really discern.

The Boss smiled in a mock sweet way and I couldn't help but think of what a twisted person he was. I always thought that he was very picky with the people he slept with considering that I've never seen him with anyone. Not even a freakin' date. Er, well there was that one time…

He leaned forward with a mischievous smile. "I've never forgotten that time, _brother_, and I hope you haven't either."

I swallowed loudly and looked him in the eye a bit nervously. "Did you know back then too?"

Leaning back he let a chuckle escape. "Maybe?"

"Ugh, you are so twisted…I don't even wanna know."

"True, so true. Well, you best be off; you do have a large amount of paperwork to do."

"Bastard," I grumbled as I hopped off his desk.

I was not looking forward to all that work at all. There was no reason I should be doing freakin' paperwork when those two crazy doctors were wandering about ready for me to kill them. A cold hand wrapped around my wrist, effectively stopping me. I looked back in surprise and saw that Rufus was holding out a manila folder and his face was very serious.

"Reno, this is information on the doctors' past experiments. I hope you use it well, but I want you to know that I don't plan on giving you field assignments for a while. I may be cruel and psychotic, but I don't want an innocent baby being fucked up because its mother is being reckless."

Ooohhh, he even added a curse word for emphasis! I'm impressed. I smiled at his indirect way of telling me that he didn't want me getting hurt and snatched the folder from him.

"Thanks, Boss. I'll be a good boy and stay out of trouble for now." I stuck out my tongue at him. "But I'm not forgiving that mother comment anytime soon."

Rufus leaned back with a smile. "All you have to do is serve me some more of that repulsive coffee again and you will have your revenge."

He's back to the proper language, with the proper air of authority, and I'm back on the trail of a couple of doctors who really pissed me off.

Er, and I'm also headed right back to the bathroom…


	9. Textus Duo

**Chapter 9: Textus Duo**

I jerked awake from my sleep breathing heavily and glancing around the dark room. Cloud stirred at my side as I gasped for breath, not even remembering the nightmare that disturbed my sleep. I felt sweat sliding down my face and chest making me shudder. I was not a man to be frightened easily, but this time…damn, I was sweating so badly, and my hands were shaking.

"R-ren…wass wrong?" Cloud asked sleepily.

I looked down at him, smiling a bit. A few days after the Franklin's call, Cloud had woken up without any pain. Vincent checked him thoroughly, and we even took him to the Shinra Hospital but, lo and behold, he was perfectly fine. It must have been another bluff on those doctors' part; that, or the…experiment…failed. Either way, I was glad that he was all right, even more so because I've been staying at his place and we've been getting along pretty well.

"I'm fine, kitten, just go back to bed."

Still halfway in the land of dreams, he decided to take my word for it and roll over and go back to whatever dream he was having. I rubbed my stomach tenderly and I felt the usual knot in my throat. I haven't told Cloud that I was pregnant, and I never wanted him to know. But how the hell was I going to hide it from him in a few months?! I could be as large as a watermelon! And then the words that Chaos told me…that Cloud was the father of one of them…them, which means I'm carrying at least twins, which in turn means that it's for sure that I'll be toting around a huge motherfucking belly. Ugh, how the hell could he get me pregnant? It didn't make sense! And only one of them? Then where the hell did the other guy come from?

Man, these questions have been haunting my every moment for the past two weeks, and there was no definite answer. I rubbed my temple and fell back into my pillow hoping that sleep would come, when I suddenly realized something. The tight feeling in my throat hadn't left, and my stomach was churning painfully. My mind immediately went into overdrive trying to diagnose this sickening feeling. Did I eat anything I'm allergic to? Was the food I had for dinner bad? Had I been poisoned? I was certain that I haven't had any chicken or salad which has been making me sick lately, so what could it be?

Whatever it was, the pain increased in my stomach and I felt the familiar queasiness that always came before the mother of hurls.

"Reno, what the hell?" Cloud mumbled sleepily. "Are you ok?"

"I- I feel-"

The control I had was gone, so I jumped off the bed and barely made it to the toilet in time. Bile spewed from my mouth into the porcelain throne and the tiled room echoed my groans and heaves mockingly. My head was pounding with the rushing blood and even though it felt like all of my insides had been chucked up into the bowl, I continued to heave.

A hand rubbed comfortingly on my back and I could barely pick up the comforting words whispered to me. Several minutes later I leaned back against my lover, panting and in pain. My throat felt raw and my nose was burning. Ugh, it was an overall terrible feeling.

"Are you ok, babe?" Cloud asked again with a yawn.

"No," I croaked. "That's a stupid question to ask when I just threw up this week's meals."

My little blond chuckled and rubbed my arms gently.

"If you can still bitch and moan, you're all right."

"Piss off…"

He laughed again, before slipping a hand under my shirt and running his blunt nails across my stomach. I tensed for a minute just thinking about his reaction if he found out about the babies. Well, I should make that a "when" not an "if." The sensation of those nails dragging along my skin gave me goosebumps and I moaned in pleasure. I absolutely loved when he would ghost his fingers over any of my flesh, especially my belly. Those talented digits trailed up to my already perked nipples and I couldn't help but snort.

"Tryin' ta get a little somethin' from a sick man?"

His gorgeous voice chuckled as he pinched the dusty flesh and rolled them in his fingers like he had done countless of time before. However, unlike all those other times, it hurt like a bitch.

"Ouch, fuck!"

Reflexively, I pushed away from him and clutched my chest where the pain still lingered. What the hell? That had never hurt before, and he'd done it rougher before…

I looked up to see a confused Cloud looking at me curiously. Panic gripped my heart and I tried to laugh it off as nothing. He could not find out about anything, no matter what.

"Ah, heh, sorry kitten. I'm just tired, and besides I got vomit breath, and you wouldn't want any of that."

"Er, ok."

He stood up and petted down my crazy red hair before he went to the bed to sulk some. I shook my head and wondered if I had just experienced morning sickness. If I did, then I was royally screwed. I never gave much thought to the different symptoms of pregnancy, and if I wasn't careful, they would give me away to the man I cared deeply for. I wasn't ready to handle the rejection that would undoubtedly come once he found out. No, I needed some more time...

* * *

"Uh, Reno, are you sure that's healthy?" asked an exasperated Elena.

I looked up over the paperwork still sucking on a large orange taffy candy called Airheads or something, all the while trying to cut open my tenth pixie stix.

"Wha kinda queshion iz tha?" I asked with the taffy still in my mouth. "O course i' iz."

A vein throbbed in her temple but I ignored her to get the damn candy open. How could those suckers make such divine sugar laden candy so freakin' hard to open! Well, maybe it was the scissors that were making it hard. After all, these were the ones I used to cut my cardboard cutouts. I looked over at the little cardboard Turks that I was obsessed with cutting last week. It was definitely a challenge cutting Rude's head absolutely round.

"Reno, consuming vast amounts of processed sugar is definitely _not_ healthy!" Elena whined. "It says so right here in this book!"

I rolled my eyes as she read out of a large book that was supposed to be an encyclopedia on pregnancy, or some shit like that. She tried getting me to read that thing, but after a while she finally realized the fruitlessness of an endeavor like that. Instead, she's taken to reading the entire damn thing out loud to me while we sat in our cubicles.

Elena and I had been getting closer to each other an awful lot since it had been discovered that I was pregnant. Rude and Tseng had been going out and focusing on the Deepground situation, while me an' Laney here sit on our butts in the office and throw things at each other. If it wasn't for her entertaining and sometimes bugging the shit out of me, I would have gone crazy. My search for the Franklin's was definitely slow work because of their talent for hiding, but the Boss had been keeping me loaded with paperwork and Elena had been keeping my mind off those fuckers by trying to make me memorize that evil book.

I glanced at the clock as I finally tipped the mangled sugar filled straw into my hungry mouth. Finally! Lunch time!

"Laney! It's food time!!" I squealed in delight.

She sighed in defeat and banged her head on the desk a few times. I laughed and grabbed her hand, easily dragging her to the break room where we always made our lunch (or picked up our take-out). Today, I already had my lunch planned out. I couldn't keep my hand from holding another pixie stix in my hand like a cigarette in an effort to keep the pain of my nicotine withdrawal. Although I'd already passed the "quitter's flu" phase of the withdrawal, the urges continued to haunt me. If I were a lesser man, I would have gone straight back to the cancer stick.

Once we arrived at the break room I went in search of my ingredients while she separated her take-out from the Boss's. She ordered some panini sandwiches and a side salad from the nearby bistro, and the Boss seemed to have ordered a large helping of white rice and sweet and sour chicken. Shiva, how did he stay so thin if he kept on eating like that? I shook my head and turned my attention to my lunch masterpiece. It was everything that anyone could wish for!

"Reno, can you take Rufus's food—HOLY CRAP WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?!"

I looked up from my sandwich at her shocked face before looking down at my sandwich. There in its infinite goodness was my peanut butter-turkey-mustard-and-tomato sandwich. It was divine tastiness.

"What's wrong with my sandwich?"

"That's not a sandwich, that's disgusting!" she shrieked.

"I'm not asking you to eat it," I mumbled while rolling my eyes. She sure could spazz out when she wanted to.

To give her some credit, even Vincent seemed weirded out by my choice of foods lately. The seemingly cold-hearted man has grown accustomed to stopping by my place nearly every night just to make sure that I was eating food, and actually consuming things somewhat healthy. Chaos himself has been keeping me entertained with his bitter sarcasm, even offering advice on more "yummy" food, but I've never made the mistake of trying to tell my innermost feelings to him or anyone else again. I needed to trust only myself, and even if Chaos was sort of my biological father, other than the old man Shinra, I just could not think of him as a true father. Still, the older ex-Turk had seemed to be more distant than usual whenever he was around, with a permanent frown etched on his mouth. I just rolled my eyes and pushed back all thoughts of Vincent and Chaos for now.

I added the top of the bread and squeezed the sandwich together before I grabbed the Boss's take-out and headed towards the elevator. Elena looked like she was going to be sick, but I brushed it off. I didn't need to puke any more than necessary considering that I was doing it every freakin' morning. I decided to stay at my apartment for a while so that Cloud wouldn't have a reason to be suspicious, but I think he was still worried. Oh well.

After I gave Rufus his food, I headed back to the cubicles. They were still empty for now, so I decided to sit at my desk and relish the moment of silence. I noticed that my computer was blinking with the message that I received a new e-mail. Curious, I clicked on and blinked when I saw a message from S. Ograj. Was it some new kind of spam? Before I clicked to delete it, the meaning slapped me in the face. It was the mirror image of J. Argos, June Argos.

My hand shook as I set down my half-eaten sandwich and focused all of my attention to the e-mail. Never mind that she got her hands on my e-mail address, but what could she be sending me? I opened the file only to receive one line. It was the coordinates to somewhere. I ran over to Tseng's office and pulled down the map he had on his wall. My fingers traced down the lines on the map while my eyes read the numbers in the message carefully. Soon enough, my fingers froze on the map and I looked down to see that it was hovering above the middle of Mideel's largest jungle. It looks like I knew where I was going to head now.

I watched as the message deleted itself completely, and I wasn't surprised one bit. My body ran on auto-pilot as I put the map back up on the wall where it belonged and went back to finish my lunch. It was obvious that Argos wanted me to go there, but there was no way that the Boss or Rude would let me go, especially to such a dangerous place like Mideel. Those jungles have swallowed up many people and beneath the dangerous ground was a stream of pure Mako that would occasionally surface claiming the life of any fool in the area. It looked like I was going to head right into danger again, but then again, it was the inevitable. They should have expected this from me.

It didn't take me very long to come up with a plan, and by that time Elena dearest was back. I knew that Rufus, Rude, and maybe even Tseng and Elena would be pissed with me, but I was sick of doing nothing, of not having a lead to follow. Nothing would be able to stop me now. Tomorrow morning I was going to take my chopper and go on a little vacation.

Humidity, super sized bugs, and flesh eating plants surrounded me as I trudged through the wet and lethal jungle. My E-mag was fully stocked with Materia as was my bracelet; the Ribbon around my arm was covered in mud and blood as well as the rest of my body. I knew that my suit was going to be retired when I was finished with my little expedition. The grime had already ruined it and I was barely here for a day. An entire day of fighting bugs the size of a damn motorcycle, plants that would like to digest me, and the humidity that was threatening to melt me into a puddle of Reno-goo. Even my body was making this trek difficult. I didn't want to know how many fucking mosquito bites I had on my dick from the constant bathroom breaks, and a few dizzy spells were slowing me down. I really hoped that there was a point to risking my life in this uninhabited place. I heard the high pitched buzzing of yet another swarm of giant bugs and rolled my eyes. I wondered how much longer I would have to go through this hell hole…

_The next afternoon…_

I felt like utter shit as I cautiously made my way through the seemingly abandoned laboratory. Broken tanks with deep scratches in the glass made me shudder despite the steamy temperature. I felt bad for all of the poor beings who had had to endure the terrible experiments that those nut cases conducted. It made my stomach churn more than the babies did. My hand rubbed the still flat expanse of my stomach comforting the little guys. Even though they were still too small to be felt, I still wanted to make sure that they weren't scared or nuthin'.

The sunlight streamed through the broken roof of the building, making the steam visible as it rose from the decaying ground. I accidentally found this place a few hours ago, but the overgrowth made it near impossible to enter the building. It was obvious that it was built in a clearing at one time because of the lack of overhead branches, but it wouldn't last long. Already, trees were beginning to grow around the area at an unnatural rate and it would probably be a matter of months before this place was completely hidden. My headset buzzed, letting me know that Rufus was calling. I had a feeling that I knew what he was going to say, considering that I left it off yesterday, but I answered it anyway.

"S'up?" I whispered, my eyes still darting about as my hands pushed through the debris and overgrowth.

The President's cold voice came through just as clearly as if he was lecturing me in his office.

"Reno, give me a damn good reason for you being in the middle of a Mideel jungle, searching through an abandoned laboratory, not to mention the fact that you are _alone_."

"Sure thing, Boss. My reason is for payback. And how did you know I was in a laboratory?"

I heard his tired sigh and I couldn't help but roll my eyes. He was overreacting once again, and I was in too bad of a mood to deal with it. I knew that he was worried, but I wasn't going to let that stop me right now. I was filthy, sweating like a Behemoth, and ready to find a reason for Argos sending this to me.

"Quit being a worrywart, yo, I'll be fine." It took a lot of self control to keep my voice to a whisper. I wanted to yell it right in his ear, but there was a possibility of wild animals and maybe even people here. "I'm a pro, I can do a little reconnaissance mission all by myself."

"I am using my authority as your Boss and President, and I am ordering you to come back right this instant!" he yelled, unaware of my position. "You're being irrational and reckless and you could be in serious trouble!"

I knew that the Boss only meant well, but he was only pissing me off right now. I was not a snot-nosed little kid that needed babysitting. I was an excellent Turk with all kinds of mad skills and surely, just checking things out was not going to be a big deal!

At this moment I caught sight of something that looked like a computer and headed over there.

"And I'm fucking using my authority as your big brother to tell you, no—argh!"

The rotten floor under me had collapsed just as I had reached the old computer. Pain shot through my head and my vision became a black slate with a few white hot splotches for a bit. I'm not sure how long it took, but I became aware of a buzzing and cackling noise in my ear. My eyes snapped opened revealing that I had fallen down into a room nearly swallowed by the natural flora. Sunlight streamed through the porous and eaten floor above my head and I noted that it was a miracle that I didn't fall through earlier. A little jolt of electricity brought my attention back to my headset. I was dismayed to find that it was broken.

"Shit," I hissed.

I sat up and heard a loud snap. I reached under my sore ass and lifted up my broken PHS. Swear words that would make Cid blush poured from my mouth as I looked helplessly at my broken equipment. This was the _exact_ fucking position that you would want to be in when you are all alone in the middle of uninhabited Mideel. I turned my head to get a better view of the rest of the room and I was face-to-face with the gruesome open mouthed face of a corpse. My scream must have echoed throughout the entire jungle.

My breaths came in broken gasps as I stared at that corpse from a safe distance of ten feet. The corpse seemed to be in agony as its decaying face was twisted in ghastly expression. The most frightening aspect was that the thing looked like it might have been part human, part…something else.

When I calmed down a bit, I crept back to get a closer look at the thing. My nose could pick up the putrid stench of its rotting flesh, but I pushed that aside to investigate. I glanced at a rusted piece of machinery near the thing which had some emblem stamped into its side, but I ignored it for the moment. Now that I was closer I could see that part of the creature had been eaten off and it made me wince. Without some equipment, I wouldn't be able to tell if it was before or after the poor thing died. Maybe I didn't want to know.

A hot breeze blew into the room making me shudder. Horrible things had happened in this room, and who knew how long ago that was. Maybe things were happening just months ago, and this thing, this person had been suffering while the rest of the fucking world was chilling out and celebrating.

Tears welled in my eyes as I looked at that thing, wondering who it was. Did this thing have a normal life before the horrible and cruel things were done to it? Did it die cursing the PLANET and the people who had done this? My eyes traveled down the body and I realized that this thing was missing part of its innards, mostly in the abdominal area. I looked around its feet and my heart stopped when I saw half buried fragments of bones. I fell to my knees and numbly dug up the small fragments. My mind had already put the pieces together, but I needed to actually see it for myself. Finally, there it was, the crushed skull of a baby, even with some flesh still clinging to it.

A sob escaped my throat as I looked down at the tiny human remains. There was no doubt that this creature had been human once, before someone had gotten hands on him. In the pit of my stomach, I knew who exactly had done this, and it made the hatred in me burn even fiercer. The salty tears fell to the ground as I looked down helplessly.

A snapping noise behind me made my blood freeze. I held my breath as all of my senses shot up and scanned the area. There was something behind me. My heart was beating like crazy and I felt the adrenaline; no, it was Mako running through my system. I felt the muscles of the thing behind me tense and ready for the jump. Only seconds later did the thing lunge right at me. On reflex, I rolled out of the way bringing out my E-mag at the same time.

It didn't give me any time to recover and swiped right at me again, but I was faster than any normal human being. I dodged the curved claws and cast Thunder 3 around the room. I heard the thing yowl and when it stood still I felt terribly sick. It was crouched on its four limbs all of which were clawed, and its entire body was covered in sores and bloody blisters. But the thing that really got me was the fact that it's bald and scaly head was humanoid. Black discharge issued from its empty eye sockets and it screamed loudly with a human voice. My nerves seemed shot and I stood there paralyzed, and not from any magic it cast. This thing was in pain and was hungry. Unfortunately, I was on the menu right now.

It sprung towards me again, trying anything to get a bite, and even though I was agile and super fast, the shock of seeing this creature was doing a number on me. I had no desire to kill it, but I wanted to live and I couldn't let it hurt me. I stepped back to dodge another flurry of attacks, however, my foot struck a root above ground and I fell back.

The creature jumped on top of me and I felt the teeth sink into my shoulder trying to tear apart the ligaments and tendons. I screamed in pain, but I couldn't bring myself to hit the creature with my EMR. This thing was just trying to survive, the same thing everything else in the world was trying to do. Was it my place to take that away from this poor suffering being?

A burning pain spread across my stomach and it brought me back to reality. The claws of the creature had grazed my stomach leaving a bloody gash and that's when it hit me. Yes, this creature had the right to fight for its survival, but so the hell did I! On top of that, I had babies inside of my body that deserved the right to be born into the world, to earn their chance to fight for survival. Just because you fight to survive doesn't mean that you will, and that's just how things work. I couldn't lose my will now, because it wasn't just me anymore.

With a new found vigor, I threw the creature off of me and cast a flurry of Thunder 3, Cure 3, and a few defensive spells. Just because I wanted to survive didn't mean that I was going to kill the thing, it only meant that I had to survive. In this case, that meant running away.

Using my Mako-enhanced powers, I jumped up through the rotten floor above and over the overgrowth. My wounds didn't heal very well which surprised me, but I didn't really have time to think about that. The creature was right behind me every step and, for the first time in a while, I was scared of dying. The thoughts of my babies made my inhuman speed faster, and my mind blocked off the pain in an attempt to keep me ahead of the creature. I heard the harsh breathing of the creature behind me, but I had to keep moving.

The foliage was a blur as I ran over stumps, brushed past vines, dodged large trees, and tried to stay one step ahead of that thing. It almost felt like a dream, like any moment I would wake up, sweating and trembling. I felt the thing take a swipe at me, managing to shred the back of my shirt and leave bloody welts, but it made the creature slow down to gain its balance, giving me a valuable chance to get ahead.

I forced my body to go even faster than ever before and I felt that it was starting to take its toll. My breaths were haggard and shallow, not giving me enough oxygen. Tears of pain that I could barely register stung at my eyes, and my limbs started to go numb. Only will power was carrying me through this, the will to live another day. I broke through the jungle, into the clearing where I had landed my helicopter. I barely thought on the fact that I ran a day-and-a-half journey in a bit over an hour. Only a few more feet and I would be safe in the cockpit of my baby and I could fly away safe and sound.

That is, until my foot caught on something and I went sprawling on the hot wet grass. When I made contact with the ground, it felt as if all of my energy disappeared, leaving a writhing mass of pain on steaming vegetation. I looked up and gasped as the creature pounced in a last effort to make a meal out of me. A gunshot rang out and the thing dropped just short of its target. I looked at the twitching body of that creature and I put a hand over my mouth and sobbed.

"Reno! Damn it, Reno!"

Strong arms grasped me, and all I could do was cling to the large body, sobbing, gasping desperately for air. My entire body felt like gelatin, but I clutched desperately to the body holding me. I stayed conscious, but I just couldn't get my body to respond.

"Reno, please say something to me."

"A-aibou…gods…I was so scared, s-so fucking scared…"

"Shhh, it's ok. I'm taking you to the nearest city and we'll get you fixed up."

I could only gasp some more as his strong arms rubbed my back. I heard him cursing under his breath as he made sure to not touch my bloody shoulder. Rude lifted me up and took me into a helicopter that wasn't my own. He left only for a minute, but I knew what he was going to do. The gunshot rang out and I shook my head, letting myself sob some more. Once he came back, we took off and I let myself drift off once we were in the air, hoping that I wouldn't be seeing that creature's face.


	10. Textus Tria

**Chapter 10: Textus Tria**

The next day found me sitting in some second-rate hospital looking out the window towards the massive jungles. As expected, once my body got a chance to rest, it healed up quickly. My shoulder was still quite tender and it was a bit hard to move it around, but you couldn't tell just by looking at it. The skin healed over the wound not leaving as much as a scar. Small scratches were all that was left of the flesh wounds to my stomach and back.

I was pretty sure that Rude had contacted Rufus and given him a full report, but I couldn't really bring myself to care about that right now. Now that I could look back, I saw the true horrors that those doctors committed, and it pissed me off so much. Those bastards did so much damage, yet they didn't regret anything and that made me so angry. The rage had built up so much…I was determined to kill them for all of the suffering they caused.

As I gazed out the window, my sharp eyes caught something in the distance. There was a truck outside of a club with a familiar emblem painted on its side. It only took me a few seconds to place that symbol. It had been on the machinery inside that laboratory, next to the corpse. I gritted my teeth and cracked my knuckles. I was going to get to the bottom of this mess, and I was going to start with that symbol.

A few phone calls later, I sneaked out of the hospital being sure to leave Rude a note. It informed him that I was going to be paying a Mr. Dino of Specialty Machinery a visit, and that he shouldn't try looking for me. After all, I fully intended to come back.

It took no time at all to find out that Mr. Dino was an extremely rich local and that one of his favorite hang outs was the exotic strip club on the outskirts of the village. For being out in the middle of nowhere, the club was strangely high class, and it was packed with customers and performers alike. I used a disguise kit from Rude's helicopter to transform my body into a work of the art of seduction, and with that, it was easy to slip into the club and make preparations. In only a few hours, I was ready to meet this Mr. Dino.

The silky raven strands of my well fitted wig were casually tossed over my shoulder as I looked for my victim. Artificially tanned skin glistened with glitter and rich paints as well as some oil to keep the paint from smudging. My crescent tattoos were hidden under black tribal paint and rhinestones that made the unique marking of an exotic prostitute. The entire club was packed tonight, but my eyes easily found my target. With a well practiced sway of my hips, I approached his table nodding at the waitress taking their orders. The only article of clothing I wore, tight revealing leather shorts, reflected the neon lights in a ripple as my hips undulated, and the ruby in my belly button glistened. Thank Ifrit that my pregnancy wasn't showing or this whole thing would have been impossible.

I caught the dark grey eyes of Mr. Dino, and the contact didn't break even when I gracefully hopped on the table and grinded against the long cold pole. I let him drink in my glorious body and treated him to a lavish wink before I began my sensual dance. I slowly walked around the pole, swaying my hips, and dipping them a little. All of the stones pasted to my body reflected the many lights, giving my body a surreal glow, and the dark paints enhanced my sleek muscles and taut body. I noted, out of the corner of my eye, that he was following my every move with a hungry look. Heh, looks like I'm just his type.

In one swift move, I hoisted up my body with one arm and swung around the pole. Everyone gasped in surprise when I didn't use any tools to help me stay up as my toned legs rose above my head and I paused completely upside down. Thankfully, the Mako in my body really made all of these movements as easy as pie. It was also impressive as heck. Next, I wrapped my right leg around the pole and freed my hands. My left leg lowered to be perpendicular to the pole and my hands caressed it. I intentionally threw a sultry glance to Mr. Dino and let my tongue peek out to run across my lower lip.

Not even breaking a sweat, I swung my legs around and used my hands to keep steady and I formed abstract designs with my sinewy body. I would alternate using my hands and legs to hold myself up and I smiled to myself as I saw the layer of money at the base of the pole. I slid down until I was once again grinding against the now warm metal leaning back to take the money out of one of the patron's hands. Very carefully I did a front flip, landing on the chair arms of Mr. Dino. From this close, I could clearly see the sweat dripping down his collar and the tightness of his suit pants. His eyes were glued to my barely covered member just inches from his face, and I decided that it was finally time to move on to the next stage of the operation.

I hopped down to straddle his thighs, and I writhed against his straining member. I leaned in and dragged my hot moist tongue over his jawbone and to his ear. My hands tugged a little on his tie, and I made sure that a few stands of the silky hair were draped over his shoulder so that he could get a good whiff of my clean passion fruit smell. He was all mine.

"Shall I take you to the back room?" I whispered into his crimson ear with a thick Wutaiese accent. I felt him shiver under my spell.

"Of course, doll," he replied eagerly.

It was obvious that I was playing a very dangerous game. This man with filthy rich and was know to have a very violent temper, so he could have body guards all around. So far, I hadn't noticed any, but I could be missing something. Well, it didn't matter right now. Getting information from him did.

I slid off his lap and led him back to the rooms. The one I picked was full of mirrors and the bed covers were of golden silk. I led him to the bed and I fell back on it with a sexy smile, watching as he stripped off everything but his pants quickly. When he leaned over me, an untimely sick spell came over me and I nearly threw up in his face. Calling on all of my control, I kept the bile down, but I turned my head so that he ended up kissing my neck and collarbone.

Mr. Dino's well known rage suddenly burst at the supposed "rejection" of his kiss. I felt his hairy hand connect harshly with my cheekbone, snapping my head against the soft bed. The hit stunned me for a bit and he stripped off my shorts and forced me on my hands and knees.

"Fucking bitch," he muttered, "no respect these days, no respect…"

One large hand grabbed a fistful of hair and tugged my head back painfully. Thankfully, the wig stayed put, keeping my cover up. I bit my tongue to keep from crying out and the taste of blood flitted across my tongue. The sound of the zipper behind me was so agonizingly slow and I vaguely wondered if I was going to be raped while I struggled to not puke my guts out.

What seemed like several seconds drew out before I realized that Mr. Dino _was_ going slow, or rather, my brain had once again sped up. I looked up through my bangs, and it wasn't the humiliating position I was in, or even the disgusting pig behind me that I noticed. Instead, it was the menacing crimson eyes that were staring back at me.

For the first time I could clearly see the gold band that surrounded the red irises and the golden speckles (courtesy of Chaos's genes within me) that rested in the scarlet pool. It was then that I could understand why anyone who saw these eyes became afraid. The corners of my lips curled up in a predatory smirk, my nausea forgotten for the moment.

Before Mr. Dino could shove his short fat dick in me, I kicked him off of me and threw him into a chair. Using available resources, I bound both of his arms and legs to the chair and I brandished a bamboo stick as if it were my E-mag. Mr. Dino blinked at me rapidly, his mouth agape in shock. I suppose that a Turk inquisition just wasn't his cup of tea.

"W-who are you?" he stuttered looking around the room.

Ah, I wasn't wearing my Blues, so he couldn't know that I was a Turk; well, there was no need to tell him.

"That is none of your concern, pig," I spat without any accent as I gently rubbed my bruised cheek. It was already healing. "I need you to give me some answers, swine," I asked cheerily as I dragged the stick across his red knuckles.

"Q-questions?" he asked an octave higher.

"Yes, yes, you know the type," I said as I began pacing in front of him. "How are you doing? How are the kids?" I abruptly turned to face him and I brought the bamboo sharply across his knuckles and retracted it just as fast. "Where are Damon and Sheryl Franklin!"

He shrieked in pain and tried to close his fist, but his wrist was tied too tightly against the armrest. He was already shaking and he shook his head furiously making his double chin jiggle.

"P-please, n-no," he begged.

I scowled and got right in his face; his wide granite eyes couldn't tear away from my own terrifying ones.

"C'mon, you fat piece of shit! I'm going to find them no matter what, but you can either live or die!"

He was absolutely mortified by now.

"If you don't kill me, they will!" he shrieked.

I sighed.

"Well then, if you're gonna play favorites like that…"

I placed my foot against his right knee and then stomped on it with half of my strength. The sound of crushing bones echoed in the room soon drowned out by the screams of the victim. I didn't even flinch as he screamed and cried, nearly convulsing on the chair in pain. I removed my foot and glanced at the misshapen and bruising limb; it was funny how doing things like this didn't bother me anymore.

"Now then, pig, tell me what I want to know and I will guarantee you that the Franklin doctors will never lay a hand on you."

Only incoherent babblings came out of his foaming mouth and his fat covered body trembled in shock. I could feel my strength slipping away slowly as the adrenaline was leaving my system, so I decided to wrap this up as quickly as possible. I placed my foot on his other knee and he began to scream louder and shake even harder than I thought possible.

"Last chance I'm gonna give you to tell me what I want. If you don't tell me this time, I'm gonna crush this other kneecap, cut eight of your fingers and eight of your toes, before I rip your testicles off and force them down your throat."

For a moment I thought that Mr. Dino had passed out as his entire body went limp and his eyes closed. I sighed in frustration and then he began to speak slowly and deliberately, trying to be clear enough for me so that I would let him live.

"I-if you guarantee that you won't let those monsters k-kill me or d-do horrible experiments t-to me, I'll tell you everything."

Heh, always the negotiator.

"On my word, if you give me the information, I'll never let them lay a hand on you."

He nodded and cringed as a wave of pain struck him. I took a little pity on him and took a Mastered Restore that I had set up in one of the drawers and cast it on him just enough to lessen the pain to a manageable amount. I noticed that I had no difficulty at all controlling the Materia or knowing how long to use it. Ever since I had that Mako put into my system, I had gained a heck of a lot more control over all kinds of Materia. I brought my attention back to Mr. Dino as he began to tell me the information.

"Sheryl and Damon are never in the same place too l-long, they are always having me send them supplies to different areas at least twice a month."

"Where did they last tell you to send it?"

"Edge."

My heart seemed to freeze, but I didn't let it show in my body language at all.

"When was that order, and what did you send them?"

"I-it was two weeks ago, and I sent them basic food supplies, one new Mako tank, several pounds of broken Materia, and some smuggled files on Grimoire Valentine and Lucrecia Crescent's research regarding the Protomateria and the G project."

I racked my mind trying to recall what I knew about Grimoire Valentine and Lucrecia Crescent, but I didn't come up with much at all. Grimoire shared the last name with Vincent, so maybe they were related? Or maybe Vincent was named after the guy if he helped Hojo with the experiments...didn't sound too promising. The only thing I could think of for Lucrecia Crescent was something that Cloud had mentioned once in bed when we were discussing different tragic plays and how they had nothing on our stories. He had said something like, "Vincent and Lucrecia's story could probably top all of ours." I asked him about it, but he had refused to tell me anything more.

I shook my head as I realized that all of this information probably wasn't worth the trouble that I was going through getting it. The only thing that was slightly helpful was the fact that they had their shit delivered to Edge. But that was two weeks ago, and they probably left by now…

"I don't suppose you know anything else useful, right yo?"

Mr. Dino looked up at me and tilted his head before his eyes lit up.

"Wait, you're one of those filthy Turks! Shinra's dirty little dogs! You only want that information so that the brat President can do such experiments as well!"

The corner of my lips twitched in agitation, and my hands clenched. I never let anyone talk about my boss in that manner, no matter what the situation. It looked like this fat pig hadn't yet learned his lesson. In a flash, he was screaming in agony again now with two crushed kneecaps.

"I'm gonna take off a few fingers for that comment too!" I yelled at him. "It isn't any of your business what the Boss does and, for the record, he would _never_ do fucking shit like this. Ever! I should kill you for that!"

To be truthful, that thought had crossed my own mind, but I realized that Rufus really was turning a new leaf and doing something as horrendous as these experiments wouldn't help his new status as a good guy. This kind of stuff was of absolutely no benefit to him.

"No, no, no! I know that they like to frequent Nibelheim, they go there at least eight times a year!"

Nibelheim, that's also where Logan said the Rhino armor had been made. Knowing this made me calm down a bit since it was the only decent clue I had.

"You won't let them touch me, w-will you?" Mr. Dino gasped in pain. "Y-you said-"

"I know what I said!" I snapped making him cringe back in his seat. I caught myself rubbing my belly in comforting circles and forced it to stop. "And yes, I always keep my word, so they won't ever touch you." I walked over to my cabinet and opened the drawer, pulling out a little surprise for Mr. Dino.

The fat slob relaxed as much as one could with two crushed kneecaps and closed his eyes with a sigh. Immediately, I buried two bullets into him, ending his worthless existence. One bullet in the head and one in the heart, just to be safe. Now that he was dead, I took my time cleaning up so that I could plot my next move. I needed to go to Nibelheim next, but I wasn't sure if I should actually ask the Boss for some help with that or if I should approach Cloud and his friends for help. Ugh, my head hurt so much…

A voice came from behind me and I whirled around wielding the bamboo cane as well as the pistol. I came face to face with nothing but thin air. Once again, all of my senses were on full alert and my veins were pumping Mako through me. There, again, was a whisper making me reel around. Seeing nothing, my heart began to pound even more in my thin chest.

"_Why haven't you killed anyone with me yet? Yes, I am tired of hanging around. Feed me now!"_

"What the heck?"

"_I smell fresh blood…"_

Unbelievable hunger pangs crashed over me, nearly making me sick in need. I could hear so many tantalizing heartbeats, beckoning me to tear into their pulsating flesh. I watched in horror as the ring of summoning glowed around me. I wasn't carrying any Summon Materia, so what the hell was going on?!

A surge of energy was expelled from my body, making me lightheaded, and I landed face first on the floor, immediately breaking my nose. That strange voice began to ring in my head, echoing roughly against the weary brain tissue. The painful feeling of being on fire spread across my flesh as I laid helplessly on the carpet. An animalistic growl tore from my throat as things all seemed to fade away.

It must have been hours before I snapped out of my near comatose state. Blood from my nose had already stained the carpet a bright red. Ugh, the Mako kept the blood looking fresh even when it was dry, how sickening. I looked around the dark room and a shudder coursed through my body. There were claw marks on the carpet and the door had been splintered. I crawled out of the room and into the hallway and this time, I didn't try to keep the bile down. The blood and gore that covered the entire area was a shock to not only my eyes, but also to my nose. I didn't know what had happened, but Sheryl's warning echoed in my head: "…you have to beat your own biological countdown."

Heaves pumped my chest up and down and my shaky hands clutched at the long strands of my fake hair. How did this all happen? Who, or rather, _what_ did this?! Gods, it was me, it had to have been me! I was the only living being in this building, and from what I remember…that horrid feeling…I knew that I did this. Realizing this only made the feeling in my stomach grow painfully.

A cold drop of liquid hit my cheek, making me blink suddenly. I raised my eyes up and let my head drop back to look up at the ceiling, at the grotesque fresco. Another beautiful drop of red fell to my pale face and I couldn't help the chuckle that snaked its way from my throat. There on the ceiling, pinned by steak knives like colorful butterflies, were the bodies of all of the patrons in this building. Their nude bodies had been mangled, and even some innards were hanging out of the split stomachs. My wide eyes took in the entire scene laughing at the horror of those faces, all of those empty eyes, watching me. This place was raining blood, and all I could do was laugh.

I forced myself to stand up shakily, still unable to stop the laughing, and walked over to the front desk where there was still an intact phone. Heh, wasn't that a little coincidental? Just as I reached for the receiver, the phone rang and a deeper sick feeling settled in my stomach. There was no doubt in my mind as the phone rang again. I knew who was on the line, and she already knew what I've done. At the moment, I didn't care how she did it, or even if she really did know it. The ironic laugh erupted from my mouth in full force nearly making me double over, but I needed to answer the phone. I needed to hear her damn voice. I needed her to tell me what to do next.

"Hey there, yo!" A chuckle interrupted my next sentence. "Heh, hehehehe, this is just so fucking hilarious! Are you watching me now?! Ah ha ha ha!" I did a little twirl and I couldn't realize what I was doing to myself. "They're all dead you know, every last one of them! Isn't it great?! Ha ha ha! Are you happy now, you motherfucking bitch?!"

Somehow, my tone had lost the playful note to it and turned into the horror that hit me fully in the gut. The stench, the sight of the gore, the feel of the blood raining down on my skin, it was all too fucking much! Odin, I was laughing, what kind of monster would laugh in this?! Me, I would, and was!!

"I'll never be happy until I get what I want, Mr. Stryker. And I'll be getting that soon enough, dear."

"The fuck you will!" I screeched in rage.

I threw down the receiver and walked over to the nearest broken table. Its glass shards glittered in the still blinking light, and the blood stains made a sick stained glass picture. I grabbed a large piece and smiled widely knowing that it was good enough for what I wanted. Tears mingled with blood as my laughter once again echoed in the large room. I clenched my new weapon hard enough that my own fresh blood ran down my arms, unhindered, and I only laughed harder. There was only one thing left for me to do…


	11. Vastatio

**Chapter 11: Vastatio**

**Thanks goes to Bekas Strife for betaing this chapter and for giving me even more ideas that I think all the fans of this story would appreciate. In this chapter, I've decided to try something new. There will be multiple POV's so I made senseless little titles for each section to try to distinguish each section. I've tried my best to keep each section in character and unique, so please let me know if I did it well enough. **

**This chapter is dedicated to Lilith Lunatic; thank you for the kind review and all the wonderful PMs.**

_**A new twist**_

Rage and worry bubbled up in my chest as I looked at the offending phone receiver. The long tone rang out loudly to me and I sighed heavily. My pale finger flicked on the intercom and I called up Rude. Something happened to Reno, and once again I needed to send him aid.

"Did I hear him call you 'big brother'?" chuckled a voice behind me.

I dropped the white receiver onto the cradle and sighed lightly. His cold hand rested lightly on my shoulder and I shook my head.

"Of course that bastard did."

"Sounds like something _you _would do. It's not hard to believe that you two are related."

"You're even worse than he is, Chaos," I said looking up to those piercing golden eyes, a familiar feeling bubbling up in my chest. "It's not hard to believe that _you_ two are related," I shot right back at him.

"You're probably worse than me and him put together," he purred against my ear.

My eyelids slid close and I felt his warm breath tickle over my lips and I couldn't help the cruel smile that curled on them. My hand snaked up and tugged on his hair until our lips barely touched.

"I need you to get me some more information on that Nibelheim reactor. I need to know if…you-know-who are there."

With my other hand I pushed him away and looked into frustrated crimson eyes. I knew that I could be a pain in the ass, but if I wasn't, where would the fun be in life? Besides, it felt good to fight against the attraction, to show him that I still did have control.

"Them again? I haven't been able to find either of them before, so what makes you think that this time will be any different? They're…dead…"

"Vincent, I don't plan on ever stopping and you know that," I hissed dangerously.

The old man sighed heavily and looked away. He knew that I always got what I wanted and it was useless to try to convince me otherwise. Yes, Vincent _and_ Chaos knew that well. The fact that he was still disagreeing with me on this pissed me off to no end. He knew better, but it seemed that he couldn't help but be the most pathetic pessimist that I knew.

"Sorry, I won't quit, Rufus."

"Don't worry, you'll be recompensed well enough tonight," I sighed, keeping any bitterness out of my voice. "On top of that, I have some information for you as well."

I threw a sealed envelope towards him.

"This is a letter from your father to Lucrecia. It's supposed to have some information on their research, but I left that for you to find out."

He took the envelope with slightly shaky hands and withdrew it into his cloak.

"I'll let you know what it says."

"I know."

Vincent easily slipped into the shadows behind the door as Rude came barging in. It's good to see that he already suspects that something was up with Reno.

"Rude, I need you to head to a Mideel jungle to check up on Reno. I was in communication with him less than ten minutes ago when it was cut off. Find him, and bring his sorry ass back here."

"Yes sir," my Turk replied calmly even though he was seething.

He didn't like that Reno was out and about any more than I did, and I could count on him to bring my half-brother back in one piece.

"Dismissed."

With that, the Costan man walked out cracking his knuckles. It looked like Reno was going to be in a lot of trouble when his partner reached him. That thought made me chuckle. I was an absolutely sadistic bastard, and I knew it. Why try to hide the fact now? It was far better to accept and live with it.

Once he was gone, Vincent came out of the shadows and walked back to the side of my desk. His scarred fingers stroked the collar of my white suit and I placed one of my hands on his gauntlet. The cold golden metal was covered in an assortment of nicks and scratches and I couldn't help but always be impressed with the dexterity that those fingers had.

"I'll leave for Nibelheim in a few days, Rufus. Before I go, I need to check on some of my information and I'll need to drop by and see how Cloud is doing."

"We're lucky that the pregnancy didn't set in," I mumbled still admiring his clawed hand.

"That would have been a problem," Vincent agreed sadly. "He couldn't have handled it."

"Well, you never know," I said smiling sadly at him. "One doesn't truly know what they can handle until they get into that situation."

I refused to let my tears fall once more, but Vincent didn't need to see them to know what I was thinking. No one truly understood how deeply the both of us were involved in this mess, and I would rather keep it that way. I could feel his pain just as clearly as I felt my own and we both knew that things had to be settled soon or one of us would break. On top of that, a now familiar aura of distress emanated from him, making me look away in annoyance. He was obviously thinking about Lucrecia again.

"Do you need anything else, Rufus?"

"Check up on the Leviathan for me. I just want to be sure that Logan is taking good care of them," I snapped in a reply.

"Of course."

"One more thing, lover," I found myself adding with a mischievous tone.

"Yes?"

"Bring some chocolate syrup with you tonight."

His unnatural eyes rolled in annoyance but he nodded. I held out the box of take-out food towards him and he snatched it as he made his way to the open window. That ragged cape that I've been trying to get him to throw away flapped in the breeze behind him, and I sighed once again. I was actually quite surprised that none of my Turks had figured out my relationship with the old ex-Turk yet. All of the hints I threw at them and they still didn't get it? Honestly, why would I order that much food, especially that detestable sweet and sour chicken? I preferred orange chicken myself. It was still fun for me to see how long it would take them to get a clue.

"Rufus?"

I looked up to see him crouching on the ledge of the window, almost looking like the vampire people mistook him for. The Styrofoam box of food kind of ruined the image, though.

"Yes?"

"I won't stop looking for him either. I couldn't."

The pain ate at my heart again, but I nodded in determination. I didn't believe his words at all, but there was no use in arguing with him again about that. With that, Vincent Valentine slipped away to once again scour the city. Fortunately, the both of us had formidable networks of information and when they were both combined, it was only a matter of time until we got what we wanted. Yes, Damon and Sheryl Franklin had better be scared.

_**The lover to die**_

The continuous beeping of the alarm clock dragged me out of my happy little dream world. You know, the place where Zack and Aerith were still with me, where Sephiroth was happy and sane, and most of all, where Reno wasn't such a dickhead. Yes, that is my never-to-come-true dream.

My consciousness finally removed itself from sleep and I braced myself for the usual barrage of senses. It seemed like I could hear every single noise from the city of Edge, I could smell things I'd rather not, and I could feel every fiber in the sheets around my body. With practiced ease, my mind began shutting out almost all of the sensations; instinctively, I filtered out the unnecessary stimulation until it was almost human. A sigh of relief brushed past my lips as I opened my heavy eyes.

My eyes were the only thing that I did not dull down, and by now I was used to the incredible perception. I snorted as I thought of the times Reno would drift out of reality just to stare at the beauty of something like wall plaster. I was like that once, but it was too long ago to really remember. He was like an old dog given the ability to see colors; it utterly overwhelmed him and that only made him cuter.

Part of my brain began the hard work of filtering out even more senses as I placed my feet on the cold floor. And yes, feeling the neighbors next door fuck in their kitchen was _not_ a necessary feeling. The tiny vibrations I could feel in the floor were blocked as well as other vibrations that ranged from one of the kids showering down the hall to the spiders creeping along the attic floor.

Once I turned off my annoying alarm clock, I ran my fingers through my messy blond hair and walked down to the kitchen to grab some breakfast. I was too lazy to put some clothes on, and I knew that Tifa wouldn't mind in the slightest. Let's just say that this is how I kept my room upstairs.

"Morning, Cloud!" Marlene chirped happily. She was standing on a stool next to Tifa, watching how she made pancakes.

"Ngh," I replied. Everyone knew that I was not a morning person.

"Cloud, you look like shit," Tifa complimented.

"Ngh."

"Wow, you're really talkative," Denzel added as he looked up from his card game with one of the other orphans.

I decided to only sigh as a reply. Grunting was getting tiresome. I sat down in the chair carefully and made sure that my morning erection was already gone. Thankfully it was, and I leaned back to wait for my hot breakfast. Having nothing better to do, my mind wandered off.

Lately, Reno had been acting really funny. It began to happen after the mess with the Franklin doctors, so I blamed it all on shock. Well, I did blame it on shock, but it had been too long for it to still be shock. He had been getting sick a terribly lot lately, and his mood swings were a lot more violent than usual. Shiva, sometimes I think that he acts just like a fucking pregnant woman. I didn't like kids, but I hated pregnant women even more. They were unreasonable and liked to take out their stupid anger issues out on me. It was like I had a damn sign over my head, just asking to be hit by pregnant women.

A headache worked its way to the front of my skull and I sighed heavily. I really did need to lighten up some. I knew I wasn't always easy to deal with, but at least I wasn't as bad as Reno. He needed attention constantly, was always hungry, would gut his own mother for some beer or a pack of cigarettes, and he…always made me happy…

Damn, I knew better than to get attached to people. Every single time I got to close, the person I cared for got killed. But who wouldn't get attached to that loud mouthed, bitchy, sexy, motherfucker?

As Tifa set the plate in front of me I couldn't help the cold feeling that settled in the pit of my stomach. I did it again, and I'll be damned if Reno got himself killed. It was time for our…relationship…to end. I didn't want to fall in love with someone only to see him die, and he was forcing that from me. His actions demanded that I do more than just have steamy sex with him, that I do more than occasionally eat out with him, but I just couldn't do it.

"Are you feeling all right, Cloud?" Tifa asked concernedly while she set the hot plate of food in front of me.

"I'm fine, Teef."

"You're just sleepy is all, right?" Denzel asked.

"Yeah," I lied easily. Tifa didn't look convinced, but she knew better than to ask me what was really wrong. She didn't want me to run off on another job yet again. I was already better than I had been before Sephiroth's rebirth, but I was still prone to running off every once in a while.

"Mr. Reno's been gone for a long time hasn't he?" Marlene asked innocently.

Tifa's head shot up and I felt like slapping my forehead. Tifa wasn't supposed to know that Reno and I were still keeping in touch so all the kids promised to keep silent. After all, that idiot taught the orphans the art of playing poker and black jack, and had made great friends with all of them while he stayed with me.

"Reno?"

"Oops," the little brunette said sheepishly.

"Cloud," the busty woman started in a warning tone.

Thankfully, my cell phone rang before she could begin to chew me out.

"Hold up, let me get that. It's an important call," I lied again. Well, it wasn't really a lie, since anything that saved me from Tifa was on my important list.

I ran upstairs and picked up my heavily decorated cell phone. Yeah, the kids and Reno got to it while I was out doing deliveries, and I haven't had the time to clean all the stickers and glitter off.

"Hello?"

"Cloud?" a deep voice asked. It had a sad and heavy-hearted tone to it that made my stomach churned.

"Yes?"

"It's me, Rude."

"…"

What was I supposed to say?

"Cloud, it's—it's Reno…"

My heart dropped and I felt all the color drain from my face.

_**Monster**_

The sights and sounds rushed past me in a constant blur that had become quite a comfort to me after many years. The cold man I was housed in was crouched on the roof of a shabby home in a place called Purgatory. His eyes were trained on the people inside, watching their heat signature courtesy of my demonic eyes.

"_Let me do this round of spying,"_ I snorted as he watched the mother give her child a warm hug.

"No," he replied simply.

"_It's no fun staying back here all the time. You hardly let me out anymore."_

"…"

Just like him to ignore a comment when he doesn't want to answer it.

"_You're getting old and predictable, Valentine. Soon, even Rufus will get tired of playing with you."_

"Shut your mouth, Chaos, you know that we don't have a choice in the matter," he hissed and I couldn't help but chuckle. All I had to do was mention his little love bunny and he would get all defensive on me.

"_If you let me out more often, I wouldn't be such a prick. Ever think about that? Besides, this situation isn't my fault."_

"I let you out often enough."

"_Jerk."_

"Ungrateful ancient demon."

I felt the tiny smile tug at his lips and I gave myself a pat on the back.

"_Feel better?"_ I asked knowing how he felt about children and the whole situation with the Shinra prince.

"Thanks."

We scanned the area and even went through the surrounding areas to be sure that Reno's mother and child were still safe. That Shinra grunt had actually done a decent job in keeping a low profile, and even his neighbors were unaware of his guests. I guess that my son could sufficiently scare the shit out of people when he wanted to. That almost made me proud.

Once we finished up with that, Vinnie and I headed to check up on Cloud. After we finished checking up on him, we planned to head over to Neibelheim reactor. Thankfully, all of our checking up in Edge took a couple of days and we were able to head off earlier than anticipated. We did consider leaving tonight, but the promise of round three with a chocolate addicted Rufus was too tempting. Besides, I needed the strength to survive the long journey.

"Chaos? When we get to Nibelheim, you will be mostly in charge."

I nodded to myself and grinned.

"_Let me guess, you think we're going to be needing Cerberus, right?"_

"It doesn't hurt to be cautious. I just have a bad feeling."

"_I'm not complaining. Besides, some of the other inhabitants in here would love to stretch out as well."_

Hearing themselves being mentioned, the other demons stirred from their sleep and began to talk amongst themselves.

"_Did he really say that we were going to get out?"_

"_No way, the King was just pulling our strings. Vincent hasn't really let us out since he got control of the King."_

"_I think he would do it!"_

"_Shut up, Galian freak."_

"_Bring it, Hellmasker!"_

"_Guys, our arguing isn't going to make the King let us out any faster you know…"_

"_Shut up Death Gigas. Just shut up."_

"All of you need to shut up," Vincent stated, rubbing his temples.

The demons took the hint and went back to their resting. If I was any smarter I would sleep until I was called as well. Being awake was such a pain, and it only made me yearn for control more and more. However, I liked seeing things through Vincent's eyes, and being conscious has made us…dare I say, closer? We still didn't really understand each other, but we had become far more tolerant.

Finally, we reached the Seventh Heaven and both Vincent and I were surprised to see Cloud packing his bag furiously with Tifa fussing all over him. Vinnie perked up our hearing and we could tell that the spiky headed blond was extremely upset and wasn't answering Tifa's questions.

"Cloud, what's going on?! Please, talk to me!"

"I need to leave."

"But why? You're scaring all of us!"

"I'll be back later."

"Cloud! Quit running away! We all need you, every one of us! Marlene, and Denzel, even…"

"Tifa!" Cloud shouted turning on her with fiery eyes. "Leave me the fuck alone! I said I was going to be fucking back, so just leave me alone!"

Not only did he surprise all of us by actually having the balls to yell at Tifa, but what was even more shocking was that a few tears slipped down his cheeks. Cloud Strife, Mr. I-have-a-stick-larger-than-Midgar-shoved-up-my-ass, was _slightly_ crying. Even Tifa was taken aback by this, and she let him brush past her to go to his Fenrir.

"_This could be important, Vinnie-boy. Shall we follow up?"_

"Yes," Vincent replied quickly. "Unfortunately, Rufus will have to wait for another time."

"_Tch, you better let him know or he'll get revenge on us. Again…"_

_**Insanity**_

"Damn you Reno!" I yelled once I slammed the door to my rental car. My sunglasses slid down my nose a little while I fired up the engine and made my way to the strip club on the outskirts of the village. First off, he runs off to Mideel without letting anyone know, and then I come to check up on him only to find him almost killed by some messed up beast, and now? Now that fucker's off getting himself into even more trouble!

My new leather gloves creaked as I clenched the steering wheel tightly. This entire affair with the mad scientists and who ever the heck June Argos was, was driving all of us insane, but I think it was taking a much heavier toll on my partner. Fuck, what man wouldn't be freaked out about carrying a _baby_?!

To be honest, I had actually been quite impressed with Reno's behavior up until now. When he discovered his pregnancy, there was no mental break-down, no depression, or bout of denial. After he stormed off that day, Reno came back focused and ready to deal with it. He quit smoking and drinking immediately, and he had been taking pretty good care of himself lately.

Then he just had to go and pull a stunt like this! An exasperated sigh slipped through my lips as I tried to figure out how to get into a fancy joint like the Pink Jaguar without having to show my ID. The only one I had on me was the Turk ID and that was the last thing I needed to be flashing around this place. I already aroused suspicion when I went searching for Reno early and I almost didn't get enough information to find out about Dino. No curse word seemed sufficient for the position I was in, so I settled for staying silent. I would definitely need to keep a cool head.

A few minutes later, I was parked in the near full parking lot and I made my way to the heavily decorated door. For some reason, the hair on the back of my neck stood on end, and all of my senses went on alert. I slowed down a bit as I made it to the door. Something was definitely wrong here, there was no doubt about it. Silently, I slipped out my pistol and I proceeded cautiously through the door. The only sounds that reached my ears were a dripping noise and heaving breathing from the main floor that was around the corner. I noticed a dark puddle in front of me and as I drew nearer I froze in shock.

The stench hit me full force and it solidified my fears. I eased around the corner, carefully controlling my urge to throw up. Seeing the bodies was even worse than the stench and it was difficult to keep my lunch down. My sharp eyes then caught the small shuddering figure and my breath caught. Although he was well-disguised, I could identify Reno immediately. Quickly glancing around to be sure we were alone, I ran over to his huddled framed.

"Reno! Good Shiva, what the-"

My words got caught in my throat as he turned to look at me. Even the drizzle of blood was not as horrifying as the sight I faced. His irises were red and even with the spray-on tan he was deathly pale. His wide eyes seemed to be empty, looking not at me, but past me. Blood ran over his entire body as if he was bathed in it, but what was even more shocking was the gaping gash in his throat. Before my very own eyes I saw the flesh healing until the wound was nothing more than an angry red streak.

"Ha ha ha, R-rude I can't die yet! Can you believe it?"

His words shocked me even more than the wound in his throat did. He had a cheery tone to his words that just didn't fit in this scene, it was almost as if he…oh Shiva don't tell me that he lost it!

"Oh, but don't worry, no, no, no! I only have so much blood you see, and the more that I lose, the longer it takes for me to heal. So, it will only take a few more tries and I'll be dead! Isn't that great?!"

"Reno, don't-"

"It's fucking important!" he screamed in anger. "Don't you get it?! It's me, I'm-"

More tears streaked down his face and he seemed to change moods again. He looked horrified, and dropped the large shard of glass. He looked around at the room and began to shake. His pale hands clutched my suit jacket and I held him to my chest.

"What's going on Reno?" I whispered.

"I'm…I did this, Rude," he replied in a shaky breath. "I couldn't control it, I should end this, me! B-but..."

His hands clutched at his stomach and I knew that he was thinking about the babies. He looked absolutely lost and his mouth gaped wordlessly. I kissed his forehead and lifted up his chin. His crimson irises began to pale, the gold melting into the red. Its glow became the regular green and his eyes were once again normal. Well, almost normal. They still looked blank, but his time he seemed to go slack in my grip.

"Reno?"

There was no response.

"Reno?!" I asked more urgently.

Only his erratic breathing answered back.

Fear thundered through my veins as I scooped him up into my arms. I needed to get him to a hospital immediately but I vaguely wondered if the damage was more physical or psychological. One thing was certain; I had to take him to another city's hospital. Since these people were already suspicious of us, they would blame me and Reno for this mess and throw us in jail, and there was no time for that.

Reno remained unresponsive during the car drive to my chopper, and the worry in me kept getting larger. In order to keep the blood off the seats, I wrapped him in a thick blanket, and I myself sat on a plastic rain coat. I left the car by the chopper and left some extra money on the inside, and then I was gone. On my way to the next city, I made a rash decision.

I knew that Reno really wanted his relationship with Cloud to work, and I also knew that he would die before telling that pokey-headed blond about the pregnancy. However, right now he needed help; he needed support from someone that he loved, and I wasn't going to be enough. I needed to tell Cloud what was going on and get his help. And if that damn ex-SOLDIER even thinks about dumping Reno and leaving him in this condition, I would take care of him when we got back to Midgar. I cracked my neck in agitation just thinking about that selfish son-of-a-bitch. One look at Reno's huddled form was all it took to get me to make that difficult call.


	12. Insania

**Chapter 12: Insania**

_Screams, terrible screams echoed over and over in my head. I watched as innocent people were torn to shreds by my very own hands. Bloody, sickeningly warm hands. I cried helplessly since I couldn't control my actions. Why couldn't I stop this massacre? Why was I even doing this?!_

_Strangely, I could feel warm arms wrap around me. The familiar sound of a guttural song began to drown out the screams and my vision blurred to a comfortable grey fog. Clawed hands rubbed my shuddering arms calming me down. Finally having a moment of rest, I leaned back against the warm figure and allowed myself some much needed rest._

"_Reno? You need to awaken soon, but for now you can get some rest. As a matter of fact, your children would probably appreciate you chilling out for a bit."_

"_My children…are they ok? I mean, they…won't know what I've done, will they? And they're all right?"_

"_Rest for now, my son," the voice whispered soothingly, "they will be fine as long as you don't harm yourself any further."_

"_Chaos, I'm…scared of what's happening…"_

"_I know."_

_

* * *

_Cloud paced nervously beside the hospital bed as Vincent's head rested against Reno's forehead. He had been in the same position for several hours without so much as twitching, and it was agitating the blond. Rude sat on a stool in a corner of the room watching the entire scene with a grave air about him. He was just as worried and frustrated, but all the years of training and working in the Turks had given him better self control than the screwed up experiment pacing the floor. Rude's dislike for Cloud was the only thing that he didn't bother hiding at the moment.

Finally, Vincent stirred and sat up wearily. Cloud stopped his pacing and stared intently at the ex-Turk. Even Rude seemed to be waiting.

"Vincent, how is he?"

Crimson eyes looked up into the Mako blue ones and let a weary sigh brush past his pale lips. The golden gauntlet brushed back the thick chocolate hair from his face.

"I've managed to get him to rest a little, but it won't be for long. We have a serious problem here."

"Problem?" Cloud hissed angrily. His eyes narrowed dangerously and both hands clenched until his knuckles were white. "This whole situation is a fucking problem! What else could be wrong?!"

Rude shot out of his seat and clenched his fists angrily. He wasn't about to let Cloud be a jackass right now.

"Shut your mouth," he growled dangerously. "Reno's trying to get some much needed rest, and if you wake him up now, I will not be held responsible for kicking your ass."

"Hah, you think that you can do something to me?" Cloud challenged. "You and your Turk entourage couldn't beat me on a good day, so what makes you think that you could take me out alone?"

Vincent rolled his eyes and leaned back in his chair. Those testosterone loaded idiots had been tense the moment they got within spitting distance and it was beginning to seriously annoy the older man. There were more important problems right now and they decided that talking trash was the appropriate thing to do? Pathetic.

"Now, now boys, put your dicks back in your pants and let's get down to business."

All three of the conscious people in the room turned in surprise to the calm blond standing at the doorway. Rufus was holding his white leather suitcase in one hand while his other hand was busy with his PDA.

"Rufus," Vincent sighed in relief. "I'm glad you got my message."

The President nodded his head absentmindedly and walked into the room, his face still glued to the screen of his mini supercomputer. Rude pulled a chair up for the Shinra and obediently backed down. Once again his calm demeanor masked the wrath bubbling up inside of him.

"Listen, Rufus," Cloud spat, "this is not the time for your little mind games, or your fucking speeches. What do you plan on doing now? That's all I want to know."

Finally placing his PDA into his pocket, Rufus looked up at the irritated Cloud and smiled a little.

"Dearest Cloud, I think the correct question to be asking now is, 'what are _you_ planning to do'? After all, you don't seem too happy to be here."

The Mako blue eyes flared briefly as he stared down Rufus.

"It's none of your business."

"Then quietly remove yourself from this room," Rufus demanded almost cheerfully. "If you aren't willing to confide in me or even have the decency to offer your help in this precarious situation, then you will not be privileged enough to hear what I have to say."

Vincent looked curiously at Cloud to see his reaction, and was not disappointed as a multitude of emotions crossed his young face. During these last few hours, Cloud had been showing more emotions than he had shown in the past few years. If the situation wasn't so dire, it would have been comical.

"Listen, Shinra, I've just found out about this entire situation and I have the right to be a little pissed off."

"And your point would be?"

Cloud clenched his teeth and took a few calming breaths. "My point is, I don't want to be in this situation at all. If I wanted to deal with a fucking pregnant person, I would have banged Tifa a long time ago. I don't like kids, I don't like mad scientists chasing after me, and I sure as hell don't want to deal with a fucking pregnant psychopath named Reno!"

"Then why are you here?" Rufus questioned quietly. Not once did his cold eyes turn away from the fiery Mako eyes, yet there were no visual signs of anger or any other emotion. Rufus was in absolute control, and it was clear to everyone in the room, including Cloud.

Cloud's eyes dropped to the floor as he considered the question.

"You don' hafta force yourself ta stay with me, yo," Reno's soft voice whispered.

Everyone turned to face the bed and they were surprised to see the redhead awake. He was still too pale to be considered healthy, and his green eyes looked at his lover sadly.

"That's not what I-"

"I know that you didn't want commitment, and I tried hard, I really did…" Reno's voice dropped and he watched his fingers fidget with his sheets. "Really, 'm sorry for lying, kitten, but I didn't wanna let you go, I didn't think that you would stay. Now I know that you won't stay, 'n I'm ok with that. It wasn't fair of me to hold on to you for so long."

A sigh escaped the blond hero and he ran shaky fingers through his spiked hair.

"It's not you, Reno. Damn, it's just…"

Shaking his head, Cloud couldn't finish the sentence. He pinched the bridge of his nose and took a few more breaths, but he couldn't hold his composure for long. Turning on his heels he left the room hurriedly, leaving Reno lying dejectedly on the bed.

"Who told him?" Reno asked quietly.

"I did. Sorry." Rude answered. He shook his head in regret; he had hoped that Cloud had cared more for Reno and would be strong enough to stay with him. Sadly, he was wrong.

"Did you tell him that I was carrying his child?"

Rude shook his head. "I didn't know you were."

"Let's jus' leave it that way, alright, yo?"

"Reno, you need to rest. Your body can't handle all this stress," Vincent said worriedly.

"I know, I just w-wanted to see Cloud," he choked out, closing his eyes so that the tears wouldn't fall.

With a gentle green glow, Vincent cast a mastered Sleep on the weary Reno. Once his form slumped and his breathing evened, everyone calmed down a little more. Rude shuffled his sheet uncomfortably as Rufus turned his attention to the Turk.

"Rude, I need you to take Elena and Tseng and all of you guys need to get a hold of all of our weapons and defense contacts. It seems that the shit is about to hit the fan, and I intend to be ready for that."

The Costan man nodded and left giving Reno one last glance. It was obvious that he felt very bad for bringing Cloud into this and speeding Reno and Cloud's relationship into the fiery end everyone was expecting. Rufus shook his head and looked towards the ex-Turk.

"So, Vincent," he sighed, "how is he?"

Vincent stroked Reno's hand affectionately before he turned his attention to Rufus. Those sharp blue eyes looked tired, but the President's entire body language spoke of something else entirely. He was carrying himself as if he was ready to be threatened and he had every intention of fighting back.

"Reno is almost broken."

A perfect eyebrow rose. "Almost? That is almost?"

His manicured finger pointed to the angry red gash across the redhead's neck. The poor Turk had lost so much blood that the wound hadn't been able to heal all the way. The bag of transfusion blood dripped slowly in order to mix in properly with the Mako that the doctors suggested should be given to him before he suffered from withdrawal.

"I know he looks bad, but I can in all honesty tell you that he hasn't lost it yet. Reno's been pushed to edge and he's lost his balance, but that's all. Someone can still grab him and pull him back."

"Nice metaphor, but how exactly do you suggest I pull him back?"

Vincent pulled his hand away from Reno and stroked Rufus's cheek. Almost immediately, he pulled away, as if surprised by his own actions.

"You can start by letting him know that you're here for him. He's a Turk, so asking for help is not an option to him; his pride is too strong for it. If you stay with him every step of the way, he'll begin to heal mentally."

"And physically?"

"Well, there seems to be another problem with that."

"Damn," Rufus whispered in agitation. "Are the babies ok?"

Crimson eyes faded into gold and Vincent's skin paled considerably. Thankfully, Chaos had gotten a lot better and only transforming halfway so there was no need to worry about wings and crazy hair. However, seeing any part of him always brought up that heated feeling, making him nearly light headed.

"The babies are a little shaken up, but that's not what I'm worried about," Chaos growled. Rufus leaned back in his chair and just waited for the demon to explain. "I'm beginning to feel another presence, like a shadow, in his aura."

Rufus tilted his head and looked straight into Chaos's animalistic eyes. With his mind running at full speed one answer stuck out far above the others. "Are you saying…as his father, is it possible that you…could he have a demon inside of him?"

Chaos looked down and nodded. "It is a possibility that we need to be prepared for."

"Tch, and how does one prepare for this, exactly?"

He growled in agitation. "I don't know, why don't we just kill him to be safe huh? Or did you learn better than that?" His tone was mocking and angry and it stung at Rufus more than he would have liked to admit.

"There's no need to get angry," Rufus hissed as he stood up. "I'm trying to work things out, here, and contrary to popular belief, I _don't _just sit on my royal ass doing nothing for my company!"

Chaos got up in a blur and shoved Rufus against the solid white wall. "Listen, you pompous bastard, you think that you have it rough? Are you the only one with problems on this PLANET? You still don't understand anything! Damn it, Rufus, you are still nothing but a child." His clawed fingers clutched both of the Shinra's arms painfully, but not enough to draw blood.

The Shinra prince looked away. "Let go of me, Chaos. I…still have work to do."

Clawed hands released him, before a decidedly more human hand grabbed his chin and pulled him into a crushing hug. The gauntlet hand pressed against the smaller man's chest, gently holding him still before a soft kiss was pressed against the thin lips. Vincent paused for a quick "Sorry," before he plunged back into that sweet mouth. A few minutes later, he pulled away and sighed as he saw that Rufus still wasn't looking at him. They walked back to the chairs and settled down heavily.

"So, what can we do about Reno's problem?" Rufus asked quietly.

"I'm not sure if there is anything that we can do," was the somber reply. "Rufus, I'm really sorry. Chaos was wrong, and it was not in his place to say such cruel things. I understand how hard you are working; we're all just under a lot of stress."

"I know," he sighed. "I don't hold it against him."

Even though Rufus had said it without wavering, Vincent saw the damage had been done. Everyday people, even people like the ex-AVALANCHE members, didn't truly understand how much the President worked in order to repair the damage he and his father had done. As well as the work he was continuing to put into trying to reform the Shinra Company and make it the best it could be. He would work until near exhaustion before resting only long enough for a snack and a nap before he was right back at it. Even their nightly trysts didn't keep him in bed all night. For Chaos, who had seen all this, to chide him so sharply…well, it wasn't encouraging in the least.

"Rufus, you should stay and look after Reno. I'm going to head over to Nibelheim to scout out the area, and then I'll report back to you."

"That'll be fine."

Vincent looked over at Rufus sadly, and sighed quietly. It wasn't good that he was beginning to worry over the younger man so much, but he felt that he owed it to him. Another sin to repent for, but how could he do that when he was still suffering from Lucrecia? He couldn't suffer for the both of them at the same time. Already, the Shinra was back to clicking away on his PDA. He flipped his cape and melded back into the shadows, his last glance of the proud blond was to see him slump in the chair and sigh.

* * *

Gradually, I became more and more aware of my surroundings. There was a fat nurse who would come in and check to make sure I was comfortable every hour or so. She would even help me to the bathroom, not at all flinching. This shameless woman became the constant thing in my life for several days, weeks, months, whatever it was. I could always count on Debbie to show up on the hour. There was another chick, but she only came during the night hours to make sure that my arms were strapped in properly. Yeah, this fucking shit was also SOLDIER proof.

Rufus would sit silently by my bedside for countless hours, many of which were spent clicking away on his hand-held computer. He would sometimes talk to me, but I couldn't bring myself to listen most of the time. It was too tiring.

Another constant was held during my stay at the hospital; Cloud never again came to visit me. I couldn't hold it against the guy because I knew that this was exactly what was going to happen. The guy was so insecure about everything, especially anything regarding a serious relationship and yeah, a kid would equal a serious relationship even if it wasn't exactly his. A small part of me had hoped that I meant a little more to him, that he wouldn't throw me away so quickly, but I knew better than that. It had been wishful thinking.

Today, Rufus had accidentally fallen asleep in the chair in the middle of typing something. The guy didn't look like had he slept any, but I wasn't one to judge. Debbie came in with a large smile and a tray of semi-edible looking food. She tiptoed around the Boss, and set the tray on my nightstand.

"How are you today?" she whispered.

I just stared at her like I've been doing ever since I met her. This woman here had to be a fucking saint to deal with me. It's not like I was trying to make it easy on her or anything. Sometimes I felt bad because I knew that I shouldn't be so rude; I just was.

"I think a little walk will make you feel much better," she continued. Quite easily, Debbie sat me up and strapped on my straight-jacket. Ever since I lashed out at another nurse and put him in intensive care, my straight-jacket was a requirement. "How are the little darlings?" Ah, the babies. I didn't give them much thought these days. I was aware that my stomach was beginning to swell already, but other than acknowledging that, I tried not to think about them.

Debbie took a hold of my shoulders and walked me around the room. She was careful not to let me fall or walk too fast, and she continued to chatter about nonsensical things. I found it funny that the Boss was so tired that he continued to sleep in that awkward position even when the nurse talked.

"All right, deary, it's time for your lunch." Sweet Debbie sat me down on the hospital bed and pulled up my tray. "What would you like to eat first? Some of the mashed peas? Or would you like to start on the turkey?" Ah, so that's what that shit was. Good to know. "Let's see, I think that you'd like to start with the turkey."

Still in my straight-jacket, I wasn't able to feed myself, so I had to depend on her steady hand to supply me with nourishment. She gave me a piece of turkey to munch on before getting a large spoonful of green shit, er, mashed peas. Just as she lifted it to my mouth, the door slammed open making all of us jump up. The peas were now smeared across my face and poor Rufus was standing with his gun pulled out and pointed at Tseng. The Head of the Turks had sweat on his forehead and his hair wasn't as impeccable as it usually was.

"Tseng?" Rufus choked out before putting his gun down. "What's wrong?"

"President, the Tower's been attacked, as well as the WRO's headquarters."

"What?!"

"The doctor's are on a man hunt for Reno, and the Tsviets have made their move at the same time! We need to get him out of here, now."

I looked between the two of them in amusement. They were both so worked up and in such a panic. How precious, they were worried about me. Debbie had already cleaned up my face and was now looking at the other two. I also vaguely wondered who these Tsviets were.

"Do you want me to prepare him, President?" she asked worriedly.

"Please," Rufus replied. "Tseng, do you have the transportation secured?"

"Yes sir."

"Very well, we need to take Reno into hiding. Reno, listen, you're going to be taken by Tseng into one of our safe houses. Debbie? I would like it if you went along; Reno seems to have taken a liking to you, and someone needs to tend to him."

"Yes sir," Debbie said with a nod.

It took us all of ten minutes to get completely packed up. I was shoved in the back to sit with my nurse and a few necessary medications. Tseng got in the front, and Rufus drove off in another car, heading straight for the danger. Hmm, I remember when I used to head for the danger too. That was quite a while ago wasn't it? Who cared?

Our old unassuming car drove along the streets of Midgar back and forth until he finally stopped in a quiet little middle-class neighborhood. By this time, Tseng had the nurse remove the straight-jacket; at least he wasn't scared of me. The neighborhood we drove into was as silent as a grave. Its perfect and well watered lawns a mockery of the slums that barely had enough water to drink. Was it a wonder that everyone turned to alcohol? Strangely, I couldn't bring myself to be angry; I was too numb for that.

Practicing more caution then necessary, Tseng surveyed the area before hurriedly carrying me into the house. All of our things were quickly put away so that Tseng could set up the state-of-the-art security system. As he was doing that, I wandered through the house, wondering how Cloud was doing. Did he already have another lover? Was he happy? These thoughts made me miserable as I walked through the small yet clean house, running my sensitive fingers over everything. It all seemed too perfect, as if no one had ever actually lived in here. Debbie tried talking to me, but I ignored her because it was too wearisome to have a conversation. Eventually, I made my way to a bedroom and sat on the soft mattress. My mind began to wander back to the strip club where I had lost it. There was no doubt in my mind that I was the one who had murdered everyone in there, but I couldn't figure out why or how. One thing I was certain of was that it had something to do with Sheryl saying that my time was running out. A tap on the shoulder brought me back to reality and I turned to face Tseng.

"Reno, how are you doing?" he asked honestly.

Tseng, the man I worked under and loved dearly sat next to me and looked over my sick body. The pregnancy had been taking its toll, and I've been needing more and more Mako shots. The sad thing was that we were running out of the Mako shots since we were no longer pumping it up through the reactors. The only pluses I got from the pregnancy so far were softer hair and cleaner skin. Not sure how that worked out, but I'm not one to complain. Being acne free was fine with me.

"Reno," Tseng asked again, shaking me out of my thoughts. "How are you doing?"

"I'm here, aren't I?"

"That's not what I asked." I looked down and he decided to move on. "Fine, I'm just going to fill you in a little. A group that seems to have been gathered by the Franklins has launched an all out attack on the Tower under the assumption that you were being cared for in there. I haven't gotten any news from Rufus yet, but I'm sure that the others are ok. Still, that was a brash move on those doctors' part, so we need to keep you in hiding. Can you work with that?"

"Sure, yo."

Nice, undercover work. At least it was a break in the monotony. Too bad I was hiding instead of sneaking behind the enemy line.

"Who're the Tsviets?"

He looked at me and paused before deciding that I could handle some new information. "They're a part of the Deepground thing we were looking into."

"Ah." Nope, I didn't care.

"Well, it's time to put your disguise on. I'll try to make it low maintenance." Tseng was watching me carefully, seeing if I could understand what he was saying. Bastard, I was crazy, not stupid.

"Sure thing," I answered softly. Getting a makeover just might make me feel a hell of a lot better. At least that's what all the girly gossip magazines I've been reading lately said.

His cold hand led me to the bathroom that had already been prepared. I sat on the toilet seat and looked into the full sized mirror he had out for me. I looked like utter shit; my skin color was a shade darker than death and you could see the green veins right through it. Dark crescents contrasted my Mako green eyes making both stand out even more. Debbie had done wonders with my hair, but it was still messy. Its luster was unmatched but with my uncaring attitude, it was nothing like the crimson glory it had been before.

With one of Elena's already present headbands, he held back my bangs as he applied a special spray paint like to cover up the tattoos under my eyes for a few months. The spray felt cool to my skin, a comforting pressure.

"Since you're pregnant, you're going to have to have to pose as a woman while we stay here. This way, no one suspects a thing."

"What, yo, I can't dress up as a dude with a beer belly?" I teased weakly. Tseng smiled a little as he finished up covering my twin tattoos.

"You're too pale, so you need to get some sun while you're staying here. That and eat better. The paint covering your tattoos is a little darker than your skin so it'll stick out if you don't get a healthier look."

I rolled my eyes and smiled. "I don't think anyone's gonna get close enough to notice, yo."

"Just do what I say."

"Yes, sir," I grumbled.

"Here, pick one out," he said pulling out a few wigs.

Another sigh brushed my lips as I looked at my choices. They were natural hair colors in some popular female haircuts. Ugh, the typical blonde hair with the perfect layers, brown hair with the honey highlights, and a black bob. What the hell? How was that s going to match me at all?!

"They're all ugly," I replied honestly.

Pulling out a pair of scissors, Tseng shook his head. "You'll just have to deal with it, that's all we have."

"Tch, if I'm putting on one of those fugly things, you're gonna have to shave my legs, armpits, and manscape."

"Tell that to Rufus, my contract doesn't cover that."

Shaking my head and smiling, I closed my eyes and told him to switch up the order. If I was gonna have to pick this shit, I'd let luck dictate that. I wriggled my finger around and finally paused.

"Reno, you're pointing between heads." I twitched my finger to the right. "Ok, got it. Now loosen your hair."

It was going to be painful parting with the hair I've been growing since…for a long time, but it was necessary. All of the hair wouldn't fit under the wig right, so he knew that it was going to happen. "Jus' do it quick," I grumbled.

His delicate fingers took a hold of my silky locks and held it together as he took it off in one snip. I had my eyes closed because I just couldn't see it finally gone. Damn, that was rough.

"There, I left it to your shoulder blades, so that should be enough. Now let's put on the wig."

I just dreaded finding out which one I picked. Tch, it's sad how I'm worrying about hair when there were crazy people after me, and I was sure that I wasn't mentally stable. Nice.


	13. Everto

**Chapter 13: Everto**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VII or any of its characters. Also, I have the lyrics of OK2BGAY and some other love song that I can't remember the title for, but I don't own those either. Just using them for my own pleasure. Also, Kigichi gets the honor of having this chapter dedication for all the wonderful ideas and for the OK2BGAY scene. **

A loud burp made Tseng look my way in annoyance. I just shrugged and went back to the feast set before me. Dearest Debbie was having a hard time keeping up with my exquisite palate, so they just got into a habit of setting things out on the table and letting me make my own food. Right now I was having a ham and cheese sandwich with pickles, jelly, and egg salad mixed in; my specialty tuna salad which contained canned tuna, garlic, chopped onions, and a tad bit of orange juice; and for dessert I was having cookie dough ice cream covered with lemon gelatin and sauerkraut.

With another burp Tseng's trigger finger twitched making me smile widely. I was obviously pissing him off, but hey, he should be expecting it. I had been living in this little house in the perfect little neighborhood and it was driving me to insanity. Well, in all honesty, I'm already crazy, but this was grating on my nerves. Nearly all of Midgar was in freakin' turmoil from the army that the Franklin doctors managed to gather to fight against Shinra as well as all the speculation about the Tsevites and the problems the WRO was facing at the time. I was sitting on a stiff clean couch doing nothing and not really caring at the moment. Even if I tried to ignore it, I wasn't one used to going without fighting and it was taking its toll. All of my energies had to be put into something and since it wasn't fighting, it was in pulling pranks of the people in this household. That and annoying the shit out of them.

"Reno, can you at least cover your mouth when you burp?" Tseng asked through gritted teeth. He was cleaning up some weapons to transport them to the pick up point where Elena would then take them to the Tower.

"Nope."

"It's disgusting you know."

"So?"

"Reno," he said with an exasperated sigh, "could you please stop trying to make us miserable?"

Shoving a large spoonful of my ice cream concoction into my mouth was my only response. The Wutaiese just shook his head and went back to work. I twirled a strand of blond hair around my finger and looked out the window. I could easily see the smoke from the battles rising into the sky, darkening it like storm clouds. Something stirred in the center of my chest, making me long to see a battlefield once again. However, more than yearning for a fight, my mouth seemed to water at the thought of seeing all those mutilated bodies. I shuddered at that thought.

The plain ring of the doorbell drew me out of my inner thoughts and I saw Tseng slip a gun into the back of his pants as he went to answer the door. Doing my share, I hid the guns that he was cleaning and went back to the table like a good little boy.

The voice of the neighbor lady made me smile a little; she was a young bubbly woman who had it all together. Even though she was married to a rich doctor, had three different houses, and wasn't lacking anything, this young woman wasn't the slightest bit snobby. As a matter of fact, she was anything but snobby; she had a great personality, a permanent smile, and a large heart. Her name was Diana, and she was also an expectant mother which made her take a liking to me right away. Every day she came over to share some new recipe she was trying and to take me out of walks. My moodiness and rudeness hadn't scared her away, so I learned to just take it in stride.

"Rena! I'm here again!"

I burped in response and she came into the kitchen with a large book of quilt designs.

"There you are! Look, I found a place that makes baby quilts, and they've got all kinds of designs."

Her smile seemed to light up the entire room and I couldn't help but smile myself.

"Want some?" I asked, holding out a spoon of my dessert. Diana smiled and shook her head.

"I already had some lunch. Oh! Little Freddie is kicking up a storm today! How is your baby doing?"

"Snoozing."

"Aw, how cute."

This lady was a little off kilter, but I didn't mind. It broke the monotony of the day.

"Are we gonna walk?"

"Yeah, and you can help me pick out a quilt for Freddie."

Heaving my behemoth butt up, I nodded to Tseng as we went out. I was wearing my holster with a gun and I had a tazer in the practice baby bag Diana made me carry. Sometimes it sucked to be a pregnant woman.

As we walked down the sidewalk the innocent lady began telling me of the problems she had been having. Her breasts were growing too big and they were very tender, so she couldn't put up with any intimacy from her husband that went beyond a kiss. It was obvious to her that her husband was a little irritated with having to go without sex, but she said that he was doing good at keeping it under wraps. All of this just reminded me of how Cloud and I had been doing before we broke up. I had been having a hard time keeping up with his crazy sex drive, but I tried to suck it up as much as I could. At least now I know it was due to the pregnancy.

Cloud…what I wouldn't have done to have kept him with me forever. It was foolish of me to love him so damn much, but who could help it? He was angsty, hot, strong willed, and an absolute bastard. What wasn't there to love? I looked at the blond hair cascading over my shoulders and I couldn't help but sigh. The color reminded me of the sunlight hitting Cloud's hair in the morning. He would still be asleep when I woke up, and I would spend hours watching him snoozing away. Sleep had taken away his stress, his frustrations, and his worries. It was like watching a little child sleep and it made me feel a little guilty. He was an innocent child once, curious and trying to make something out of himself. All he got for his dedication and hard work was years spent as Hojo's plaything and years afterward suffering.

Even now, if he were to come back and ask me to forgive him, I would. I was shamelessly addicted to him, a nutcase just like I was. If he knew that one of the babies was his, would he come back? Or would he run further away? The more likely answer was the latter one. He would never want to be a father.

We paused for a little while to drink some water and Diana looked worriedly at the smoke in the distance.

"Do you think those people will be ok?" she asked concernedly.

"Eh, I guess so." I didn't even want to think about the people who were dying just because some nutcases were looking for me. Besides making me feel helpless, it was mouthwatering.

Straightening out, I placed both hands on the small of my back as extra support to keep up my belly. In no time at all we were back in front of our houses and I quickly helped her make a decision on a baby quilt. Once she went inside her house, I noticed that there was another car in our driveway. Cautiously, I made my way to the front door. I could hear voices on the other side and it didn't sound like they were being threatened. Still, not taking any chances, I pulled out my gun and went in quietly. Instantly I recognized the tired voice of Rufus and I dropped my gun and ran into the kitchen to see him. The President was sitting at the table holding a bloody left arm and I felt my heart drop.

"Rufus! What the hell happened?!"

He smiled when he saw me and then winced when Tseng peeled his hand from the wound.

"Nothing, it was my mistake."

"You shouldn't be fighting with that blind eye, sir," Tseng chided highly annoyed.

"Boss! You know that your eye makes it difficult to fight, so why the hell did you do it?"

He waved a bloody hand at me and shook his head.

"I don't need another Tseng, Reno. I'll be fine. Besides, you of all people should understand how hard it is to sit around."

"I know! All I've been doing is walking around with a pregnant lady discussing tender nipples and bathroom runs! I wanna get out of here, yo!"

Deciding that he didn't need to explain anything to me, Rufus sat back in his chair and tried to relax as the Head of the Turks tended to the wound. I wanted to argue with him, but a kick to my bladder forced me to head to the bathroom instead. Man, the little ones inside me were starting to get all worked up and that wasn't any fun at all. Usually my kidneys and spinal cord were the ones to get the punishing kicks, but on occasion other organs received the abuse.

Once I relieved myself, I decided to just sit in the bathroom and calm down. My mood swings were a real pain in the ass, and I needed to chill or Boss wouldn't even give me the time of the day. As I focused on taking deep breaths and stretching out my senses, the scent of blood flooded my nose and adrenaline began pumping through my veins. My hands clenched the material of my shorts tightly as I tried to push the hunger away. The strange sensation that I had felt at the strip club was trying to creep up once again, but I was trying my damnest not to let that happen. Abruptly, I stood up and rushed to the sink to splash cold water over my face. That would surely force my mind away from the bloodlust.

"_I need to feed again…"_

I jerked up and whirled around wildly. Where the hell was that voice coming from?!

"_Why don't you just accept me? I won't abuse you again."_

"Shit," I whispered not seeing anything or anyone around. It was the same as last time.

"_You are mine alone, Reno, and that's how it'll stay from now on, you can be sure of that."_

"I ain't no one's! And who the fuck are you!"

I felt something brush against my shoulder making me spin around. I froze when I realized that I was looking right into the mirror.

"_You can't hold out forever,"_ my reflection snorted.

By now I was shaking badly enough to feel my knees knocking. There was definitely something unsettling about seeing yourself talking to you. In my fear I almost didn't notice the fine marking that covered my reflection's face and those blood red eyes.

"Reno!"

Tseng's concerned voice jerked my attention from the mirror for a moment and I could feel my heart pounding violently against my ribcage. When I looked back in the mirror all I could see was my pale and scared face.

"Reno! Open up or I'll break the door down!"

Still shaking, I opened the door to see Tseng's concerned face.

"Are you ok? What were you yelling at?"

My throat was dry, but I managed to croak out an answer. "One…one of the little buggers j-just kicked me is all. It was n-nothing, yo."

He didn't look convinced, but he stepped aside. "Are you done?"

"Uh, yeah."

I gave one more nervous glance at the mirror before following him out of the bathroom. Rufus looked at me intently when I came into the dinning room, but I just looked down at the ground. If I looked up, he might be able to see the fear.

* * *

Rufus's wound had been bad enough that Tseng grounded him and made him keep me company. As a matter of fact, the said Wutaiese was taking a nap in his room, exhausted from a day full of ordering people around. Knowing this, I decided to annoy him; heck, I didn't have anything better to do.

The television had satellite, so I had access to every channel thinkable. First, I rose the volume to where Tseng would be sure to hear it as well, then I picked a pay-per-view channel that was some porn movie. It sucked as a movie, but served my purpose. Half-way into the movie and I saw him slinking out of his room and going into Rufus's room which was situated further away. Seeing my target move, I switched channels and began looking for another program to bother him with. As I was surfing the channels, my lovely baby brother graced me with his presence.

"What are you doing Reno?"

"Nothing."

He rolled his eyes knowing full well that I was up to something. The President sat down heavily on the recliner and began typing on his PDA with one hand. The other hand was in a sling as it was recovering from the bullet wound, so his right hand was forced to do all the work. Tch, I bet that soon he would have the letters from the keypad imprinted on his perfect white fingers.

A commercial caught my attention and I recognized that song quick enough to raise the volume loud enough for Tseng to hear. Rufus actually paused his typing as he sat back to listen to me singing along.

_It's okay be gay, let's rejoice with the boys in the gay way  
Hooray for the kind of man that you will find in the gay way  
It's okay to be gay, let's rejoice with the boys in the gay way  
Hooray for the kind of man that you will find in the gay way_

I could just see Tseng trying to stuff a pillow in his ear.

_Father figures we are  
You're a shooting star you've come so far  
I was once in your shoes  
In a closet like you  
I had nothing to lose_

I couldn't help but rub my belly thinking that I was going to be one hell of a father figure. Heh, child services would probably shit in their pants if they knew that I was going to be a momma.

_Hey man gay man pick up the soap  
Get on your knees and pray  
Hey man gay man  
Release your load_

Here I couldn't help but make a jerking off motion that made Rufus snort in amusement. At least he was enjoying my little show. In addition to singing along, I was now adding a few strange dance steps. Yeah, this is what you learn in the hood.

_Ooh, strong man  
queen of the balls  
some brotherly love is a pleasure for all_

At those words I twirled over to Rufus and sat on his lap. He smiled naughtily at me as I held his face in my hands and leaned close.

"Dear, Shiva, you've got to be kidding me."

We looked up to see Tseng standing at the door frame with his hand over his face. The guy probably came in to yell at me for playing such a crude song so loudly and instead came to what seemed like the two of us making out. Well, not to say that we wouldn't have if he hadn't barged in.

"Hello there, Tseng," Rufus said calmly with the music still playing in the background.

I just jumped off his lap and finished singing along with the commercial.

_Hooray for the kind of man that you will find in the gay way  
It's okay to be gay, let's rejoice with the boys in the gay way  
Hooray for the kind of man that you will find in the gay way  
It's okay to be gay!_

I'm not totally sure what being gay had to do with that particular line of clothing, but it was still an amusing song. However, Tseng didn't seem to feel the same way about it, which kind of made the situation all the more hilarious. It was a good thing that Rufus had similar tastes in humor, or I might have been in trouble.

"I'm not even sure what to say," he groaned with his head still in his hands. "Just lower that volume."

With a smile and a wink at my brother, I lowered the volume. It looked like I had annoyed the poor Wutaiese enough.

"It doesn't take much to believe that you two are related," he continued. "Both idiots."

"Really now," Rufus retorted as he went back to work. "I'm your boss, you could show a little more respect."

"Sometimes I think a good spanking would do you good, sir," Tseng said with a shake of his head.

"Yeah, you know that a spankin' wouldn't do no good for me, yo," I couldn't help but add. "I'd like it too much!"

The President's PHS went off saving me from a tongue lashing. He flipped it open and his face seemed to soften as he heard the voice on the other line.

"Yes, of course. You've got news?!"

Rufus jumped right out of his seat, knocking me flat on my ass and making Tseng jump back in surprise. Never before had I seen Rufus look quite so animated. He was already breathing a bit faster and…was that tears in his eyes?! What the fuck? Both Tseng and I stared in a mixture of confusion and almost horror as the anal retentive boss we have known for countless years turned away from us to hide his tears.

"So they were alive last year? T-that's good at least. Yes, yes. No, I'll be fine. Alright, yes. L-later."

Still in shock, us two idiot Turks just watched as Rufus struggled to keep some kind of emotions hidden. I could tell that he was wiping his eyes and nose, but I couldn't say anything. I mean, what was there to say?

"S-sir?" Tseng stuttered. It seemed as if he was at a lost as well.

"Never mind," he snapped. "Just…go for a minute."

The both of us left the room obediently. Once out, we looked at each other stupidly. Seeing our Boss act like that was quite a shock and I'm sure that even Rude would have been at a loss if he was in our situation. I mean, if Tseng, our great Turk leader, was dumbfounded then what was I supposed to do. I looked at the door worriedly as I heard him struggle not to cry. Tseng was lucky not to have such good hearing.

"Dang, what…what the hell?" I whispered.

"Why are you whispering?" he whispered back.

"Does it fucking matter?"

"Sorry, you're right. I'm just as lost as you are. I've never seen him act like that before; even as a child he didn't...react quite like that."

"What could have happened?"

"I'm not sure."

* * *

By the next day things were almost back to normal. It had taken about an hour before Rufus was back to normal, but the effect of seeing him lose his cool like that still affected us. Debbie was the only one who hadn't seen it so, while she was acting normal, my thoughts were focused on one thing. Rufus.

It seemed as if in light of learning what exactly had made my little brother act like that, my insanity decided to take a little break. I was also able to push back the voice that plagued my dreams and resting moments since all my time was spent on thoughts of the President.

Sadly, I had taken to spying on my brother, but what could you expect? Anyone would after seeing that. As a matter of fact, while Tseng was talking to Elena and getting updates about the fight I was laying back quietly listening to the tapping on Ru's PDA. That damn thing was hardly ever out of his hand, so I didn't get a chance to hack into it for some information. Fuck, I'm sure he even takes that thing to the toilet.

A ring from Rufus's PHS made me tune in a little more. Sometimes it was good to have these Mako enhancements. It was exactly three rings before my little bro picked up the phone. It probably took so long because of his bum arm.

"Yes?"

"It's me," replied the voice over the line. I ran that familiar voice through my mental database easily identifying it as Vincent Valentine.

"Hi there," he replied wearily, yet happily.

"Are you doing ok?"

"I'm doing just fine. I'm sorry that I couldn't talk longer yesterday; it's just that the news you delivered to me made me…well, emotional to say the least."

"I'm sorry, but I couldn't find a better way of telling you the news, and I knew that you would want to know it right away."

Darn those two with dancing around the very topic that I was wanting to know about. Couldn't they be a little more detailed?

"No, I'm glad that you did. Hearing that we haven't been wasting our time for these few years makes me happy, but at the same time, disappointed. We need to find them quickly."

"We will, it's just going to take a little more time. Let's just be patient." Suddenly, Vincent's voice went a little deeper. "Don't worry, love, it will soon all be worked out."

Ok, now if that doesn't sound suspicious, then I don't know what does. Calling my Boss "love" just didn't seem right on so many levels. He wasn't anything even resembling "love". That's just gross.

"Tch, we know how patient I am. Moving on before I get even more depressed, how are things at the WRO? Has Reeve settle down yet?"

"He's still a little overwhelmed, but most of us survived. I wouldn't be surprised if this was only the beginning."

"At least he isn't sitting on his ass doing nothing. As for the Franklins, I don't think that they'll just sit by and do nothing either."

"Don't worry, we _will_ get them. If it's the last thing I do, I promise that I'll find…I'll find them, and I'll kill those doctors."

"You'll have to beat me there," Rufus chuckled.

"Of course."

"Now that business is done with, when will I be seeing you again? I need to be going over to Nibelhiem soon and I need your body before going over there."

Ok, now that was just sick. I cupped both hands over my ears and shuddered. That is not a mental image that I want to pop up at inopportune moments, but I'm pretty sure that it will. Now how screwed up is this? Rufus is my baby half brother, and Vincent is kind of like my half father since he's the host for Chaos and all. So, like, my baby brother is dating my father. Absolutely disgusting.

Acting like the child I am, I screamed into a pillow and rolled around on my bed trying to shake out all of those images from my mind. No, I don't want to know if it's considered a three-way if Chaos joins in, and I sure as hell don't want to even imagine my boss being banged by some ancient demon. Way too much information, and not even the information that I was looking for.

I had to listen to all that nearly phone-sex shit, and I didn't get what I wanted! Those two were being really vague, but what I could gather was that both the Boss and Vincent were looking for something, or rather, someone, and they found evidence that he or she was alive. Now this brings an important question: who the hell would those two be looking for? It must be someone really important if finding news on him/her made the both of them emotional.

Before I had a chance to further analyze the conversation I had been eavesdropping on, Debbie came in to let me know that it was time to take a nap.

"That little darling needs all the rest she can get."

I frowned and growled at her a little. "For the last time, I'm not going to have a girl. And it's 'little darlings' since I'm going to have twins."

"Well, we'll just see about that, won't we?" she asked cheerily.

"I'm the one who's having the fucking babies," I complained.

"Yes, but I've got a nose for this kind of thing."

"…"

Now that was a strange thing to say. Like, she could smell if I was going to have a girl? That's a disgusting thought. Besides, it was obvious to see that there was no way that I could handle a baby girl. For crying out loud, it was hard enough to imagine that I was going to have baby boys, what would I do with a baby girl? This train of thought also led me to another question. Did I plan on keeping the babies? As a Turk, I was always on dangerous missions and the future didn't seem to be any different. How could I raise children in a position like this? Was I willing to give my life up for these children? Besides, it was obvious that I wasn't exactly father material; they would probably better off with another family.

As the lights went off my mind was full of such heavy questions, it wasn't hard to fall asleep. I wasn't used to such serious questions and having to ponder them amidst all this other shit that was going on was really tiring. Tch, like carrying around twins wasn't tiring enough. Curling on my side, I fell into a comfortable sleep. Yes, I would be able to worry myself sick once I woke up.

* * *

It felt as if I was viewing a movie in my sleep. In this movie, a creature was stalking through someone's house obviously looking to eat someone. Its sensitive nose picked up the distinctive smell of human and began to creep towards the living room. Expensive decorations were tastefully placed around the room with a large wedding photo hanging right next to the television. On the large couch, a husband was taking a nap with his beautiful pregnant wife. He had gotten off of work early that day, so he wanted to spend it with his darling. They were both a young couple, happy and still madly in love. The creature silently measured up the helpless prey, reaching first for the familiar woman. After all, it would be like having two meals in one. However, his outstretched hand paused; this woman was sweet, and she had always treated the monster with so much care. How could he lift a hand against her now? No, he couldn't bring himself to touch her, but he could touch her husband. Yes, that was not someone that the monster knew well, and it would be easy to feast on his succulent flesh. With the unnatural speed of a demon, the creature spirited the innocent man into the kitchen where one bite silenced the man forever. However, one bite could not sate its hunger and the creature devoured the young flesh.

As I watched the scenes unfold before me, I couldn't help but feel a little bad. That man had done nothing to deserve being eaten by the monster, but there he was with his body opened to feed the hungering animal. What would the man's wife think? She was still young, and carrying his baby. Could she protect the little one and raise it alone? Or would she turn to find another man to be the father? It was such a difficult decision to make, yet people were doing it all the time in today's world. She was just another sad case. Heh, maybe she would be the one to chase after the beast and kill it for revenge. Now that would make a perfect ending.

* * *

The fog of sleep seemed to lift slowly as I stretched out on the soft covers of my bed. That was kind of a weird dream but it didn't bother me that much. Cloud and I used to watch worse movies than that. Maybe I watched a show like that when I was younger and my mind was just bringing it up now? Well, who knows?

Rubbing the sleep from my eyes, I realized that something was wrong. That ever present hunger that I've had to live with since I've gotten pregnant was suddenly not there anymore. Unfortunately, that wasn't the worst of my problems. Slowly, I pulled my hands away from my face and all I could see was blood. Sticky cold blood clung to my hands, to my clothes, even to the bed sheets around me. This had to be some kind of sick joke, there was no other reason for this! How did…

A piercing scream from the next door neighbors made me sick. I did it again, didn't I? That wasn't a dream, and it wasn't even a nightmare. I was losing control to something inside of me, and it was leaving a hell of a mark. I gagged as I realized that there were still some bits of flesh in my mouth.

What was I supposed to do now? I obviously just killed a man, and Tseng was sure to find out soon. After all, hearing a scream like that never meant anything good and someone was bound to call the police. We were probably going to move out before the authorities even got here which would mean that he would walk in and see me like this. How could I explain this to him? Speak of the devil, my door opened an in walked Tseng.

"Reno, we need to…"

Looking up from my bloody hands I smiled weakly at him. "Looks like I did it again," I whimpered.

He stared at me for a few seconds as his mind took in the sight. What was he supposed to do? Before either of us could say anything, Rufus came in as well.

"Tseng what are you…"

I sighed as I watched the look on his face. It was shocked before a strange look of understanding passed over. Without saying a word he went right to me and pulled me into a hug. The blood was staining his pristine white clothes, but he still held me. I let my head rest against his strong shoulder and I didn't feel so helpless.

"Alright, we need to head off now," he commanded softly. "and we'll find a way to stop your inner demons Reno."

I didn't have time to get cleaned up, so we just packed up everything we needed and headed out in record time. Rufus sat in the back seat with me so that Debbie wouldn't be so freaked out. She wisely remained quiet about the whole thing and just stared straight ahead at the rushing road. Tseng was calling Elena and getting directions to another secure place. As we headed towards the new place, the Boss got closer and began whispering to me.

"Reno, I might have an idea of what has been happening to you."

"Eh?"

"You already know that you are partially Chaos's son, but there are possible side effects to that. I was speaking with Vincent and he thinks that it's possible that you have a demon within you just like he does."

"A demon?"

"Of course. It only makes sense when you think about it. From what I can guess, the problem you have is that you can't control it like Vincent can. I think that we need to talk to him and have him try to help you stop that thing from coming out whenever it pleases."

I stared at him. "You just wanna have an excuse to see your lover, right, yo?"

The look on his face was priceless. "So you figured that out? Took you long enough."

"Sorry Boss, but my super sensitive ears pick up many interesting tidbits. You wanna tell me what got you all worked up or shall I have to find out the hard way? I'd do it, yo."

Sadness and a tinge of bitterness clouded his icy blue eyes. It suddenly felt as if there was a heavy weight on top of him as his shoulders slumped and he looked away. This had to be some serious shit if it was affecting him the way it was. For some reason it made me feel like my problems were nothing compared to his. That's saying something considering that I was carrying twins, holding a demon dwelling in my body, and having strange yearnings for human flesh.

"Reno, this is something that you should keep your nose out of."

"No can do."

He bit his lip before facing me again with a stern look. "If you want to keep what little sanity you have left, then you will stay out of my business. Now, you need to sit still while I set up a meeting with Vincent."

With that, he turned away and made a call on his PHS. Hmmm, so Vincent was on his speed dial. Not surprising now that the Boss has admitted to being in a relationship with the creepy old guy. It's still fucking gross.

"You're dating an old man," I whispered when he finally got Vincent on the line.

That earned me a smack to the arm and I giggled. The world was falling apart around us and the two of us couldn't help but act like a pair of juvenile idiots. Maybe Tseng was right, the two of us were undoubtedly related by our stupidity as well as genetics.

* * *

Cloud. Dweeb, Mama's boy, dummy, fucker, little punk, failure, No. 39876454, test subject, experiment, clone, asshole, and many other names. Yes, he was all of that. The cold wind bit at his exposed skin as he stripped off all of his clothes, just dropping them into a pile next to the swamp waters. His pale toes clenched in the cold mud as he took a deep breath. Step by step he went further and further into the murky water. In the distance he could see a Midgar Zolom hunting for a meal, but it didn't bother him at all. He had spent years training in these very waters, away from all human contact. The first time he came here, it was with Aerith, Tifa, and the others. He was a young mentally unstable man who was out to find Sephiroth. The sight of the mighty reptile impaled upon a tree by Sephiroth had been enough to make his knees tremble back then, but now it was different. He could do it himself if he ever felt the sadistic urge to.

His body shivered from the cold but he barely even felt it. There was so much that was weighing on his mind that none of his physical displeasure could even compare. Taking a deep breath, he dived into the murky waters where most sensations were cut off. There was nothing to see, nothing to hear, nothing to smell. Only touch survived under these waters, and his scarred hands managed to grab a hold of some gnarled roots to keep him under. Down here there was nothing but his thoughts.

The savior of the PLANET let his mind drift back to the days of his early childhood, back when he lived in Nibelheim. His mother had always been aloof, treating him like some pet that needed to be feed but could be ignored the rest of the time. She was always thinking about the father of her child, hoping that he would come to take her away from the drab little town, away from the nuisance that plagued her.

He never knew what his father was like, or how his parents had met. Cloud didn't even know if his parents were married or if they were just lovers. Maybe they were ex-lovers and his mother just didn't let go. No, he never even had the chance to ask, and even if he did the blond didn't really know if he would have asked. By now, he didn't really care. However, back then it had really bothered him; the secrets that surrounded his mother and him had made the little Cloud on the receiving end of many pranks and terrible gossip. The other children had just learned what their parents said about the scrawny blond brat and they followed in their parents' example. They made his life miserable. Children were all like that of course. They would take the worst in their parents and copy it, shamelessly being cruel to one another and making a game of who could torture the odd child the most. Children were not the little angels that everyone pretended that they were. Only a few of those angel children existed but they were few and far between.

Cloud had never felt like a child should, full of joy and unending happiness. He should have been full of laughter, full of energy, but that was never what he was. No, he had been a freakish failure from the very beginning. Regardless of how much he tried, he couldn't fit in with the others. So, he did the only thing that he could think to do. Run away.

The army had made him far happier than that back-water village ever could. Actually, he had been growing up in a way that a place like Nibelheim could never compare with. He had been learning the ways of the world, of the kindness of adults, of the cruelty of adults, of everything between. In the military he had gotten his first kiss and it wasn't from a soft young girl. A young bartender who worked at the club that Zack would always take him to was the one to teach him the pleasures of the world. He couldn't even recall the young man's name now, but he could still remember the way that kind bartender held him, the way he taught him that even a screw up like him could be loved.

It had all been ripped away from him by the cruelty of Sephiroth. To be completely honest, he couldn't completely hate the older man. He was every much a victim as the rest of the PLANET, even more so because the entire world could blame the havoc that unfolded as his fault alone. Sephiroth had never planned to take over the world, to kill thousands, or even to rise into a privileged position. The platinum-haired man had only wished to be accepted as a living being. Even his own "mother" had only used him to do her biding. No, Cloud could not hate the unfortunate man.

Coming up for some much needed air, Cloud sputtered and ran his fingers through his muddy hair, taking deep breaths as the shock of the cold air stung his pale skin. What was he thinking? He came here to think over the mess with Reno. Why was he thinking of anything _but_ Reno?

"Shit! I'm even a failure at finding solutions!"

He slammed his fist into the opaque water and screamed in frustration. Images of the smart-ass Turk made his heart ache. That sloppy idiot had made him do so many shameless things, had made him see so much more of the world than he had ever wanted to. Even when they had been fighting each other, that man's attitude and unreal red hair had caught his attention. The way those thin pale lips curled up in a cocky grin and that confident swagger had made him so lustful and he yearned for the confidence that Reno had. That man could walk through a mall completely naked and he wouldn't even so much as blush and that made Cloud envious. He was always so insecure and indecisive and it was making him sick.

When Reno finally hit on him at Seventh Heaven that New Years, it was a fluke that he let his inhibitions go and slept with the Turk. Because of that he was gifted with the best years of his life and now…now look at what he had done. He had left Reno because of something that wasn't even his fault. He was pregnant because of something that those crazy doctors had done and Cloud had treated the poor guy like shit for it. Wasn't he in that very situation years ago with Zack? Was it his fault that Hojo submitted him to inhumane experiments?

Yes, he had every right to be uncomfortable around children and not to like them, but how could that make him hate Reno? It couldn't. Even now he wanted to hold the man in his arms and beg for forgiveness, but that wasn't going to happen. Reno was a proud man and would never give him the time of the day after he had left. A few tears rolled down his muddy cheeks as he leaned against the tree in defeat. He was an absolute jackass and he didn't deserve someone like Reno.

"I'm sorry," he whispered pathetically before the words were caught up in the heavy wind carrying them to somewhere far away.

After a few moments of standing in the cold murky water, Cloud made a decision. Submerging himself completely one last time, he emerged refreshed and ready to move out. The wind bit at his sensitive nerves but he just shook the water from his hair and rubbed his taut muscles. Not at all caring that he was covered in filth, he slipped into his clothes and straddled his massive bike. He was going to find those two bastards and kill them in a slow cruel way. They had dared to touch his lover and they wouldn't live to tell about it. Even if Reno never forgave him, he would spend the rest of his life watching over the Turk and caring for him from the shadows.

Fenrir roared to life and its master slipped on his new sunglasses before taking the massive vehicle down the barely seen trails across the Midgar Plains. The wind swept back the dirty spikes and the clear teardrops.

* * *

I sighed sadly as I looked out the window to a scene that I was more than familiar with. We had ended up having to spend the night in a hotel in the slums while Elena secured a new house. Most of our hideouts could be compromised, so we needed a new one. Rufus was sitting on the only bed in our room. His head was leaning back on the headboard and his eyes were closed but I could tell that he wasn't sleeping. He was just as worried as I was.

However, I wasn't only worrying over turning into a demon again. No, my mind was also occupied by thoughts of Cloud. I missed him so badly and it was tearing me up. I didn't fully realize how much I had really put into our relationship, and now it was taking its toll on me.

Oceans apart day after day  
And I slowly go insane  
I hear your voice on the line  
But it doesn't stop the pain  
If I see you next to never  
How can we say forever

I just wanted to hold him, to kiss him, to love him. That bastard had given me love and then ripped it away like a band-aid. If I ever saw him again I was going to beat the shit out of him before pulling him into a bone crushing hug.

Wherever you go  
Whatever you do  
I will be right here waiting for you  
Whatever it takes  
Or how my heart breaks  
I will be right here waiting for you

I closed the window to block out the sappy song that was playing in the background. It wasn't making me feel any better. Still hearing some of the lyrics, I closed the blinds to try to block it all. Rufus cracked an eye to look at me, but I shook my head and sat on the edge of the bed.

"Boss?"

"Hmm?"

"Well, can I ask you a personal question?"

"Sure. It doesn't mean I'll answer it, but feel free to ask anything you want."

Jackass. "Um, have you ever been broken-hearted?"

He looked at me thoughtfully before closing his eyes and nodding. "Yes."

"How long does it last?" I whispered sadly.

"Forever," he mumbled. "If you really do love that person, it will never go away."

"That's fucking encouraging," I grumbled as I laid next to him. I was already cleaned up from my earlier mess, so I rested my head next to his injured arm.

"It's the truth you know. There's no use in lying about something like this."

"Who was it?"

"Hn?"

"Who broke your heart?"

He looked at me sadly and just smiled.

"You should get some rest now."

He rolled over to his side effectively ending our conversation. Sighing again, I rolled to my side. I found my hand stroking my bump of a stomach comfortingly. Was I doing this to comfort the twins or to comfort myself? Regardless, I continued to rub circles on the flesh. There were a few obvious stretch marks that pissed me off when I looked at them, but that's just how it was. How did I plan on raising the two of these? If only one was Cloud's that meant that the other one was the experiment from the doctors. What if the child was…a monster? What would I do? It wasn't really mine, I was just a fleshly vessel carrying it around, so did that mean that I didn't have any obligation to it?

The dark thought of killing it entered my mind and I shuddered. How could I even think like that! Monster or not it was still a child; but if it was going to destroy the world, wasn't it my duty to kill it? With these heavy thoughts, I curled up on my side and fell into a restless sleep.

* * *

_The cities were burning before my very eyes and all I could do was stand there in horror. Sephiroth stood before me with his mighty Masamune in hand. Turning slowly to face me, the General looked down at me with a strange expression. It wasn't the blood thirsty look that I was expecting or even the look of ecstasy that he would get in doing his mother's will. It was a tired look that didn't fit on his chiseled face very well. Out of the corner of my eye I saw his thirsty blood absorbing the blood that was sliding down its sleek curve and it made me shudder. Even his sword was unnatural._

_I gulped and stepped back as he took a heavy step towards me. It seemed that every step towards me was forced and that he barely seemed to have any energy. I saw a strange apparition forming behind him, whispering all kinds of words to him. The apparition was taking the form of a strange woman-creature. Her skin was tinted green and her eyes were unnaturally shaped like a cat's eyes, just like Sephiroth's. Her purple lips spoke poison to her son, twisting his fragile mind even further. I barely noticed the lifeless forms of her other sons, the Remnants who were sacrificed to give life to Sephiroth and the failure who came before._

"_Give him to me," the General commanded slowly._

_His leather hand outstretched towards me and only then did I realize that I was holding something. The bundle in my arms began to cry making me realize that I was holding a baby._

"_Give…him to…to me," he repeated as Jenova continued to speak to him._

_Instinctively, I pulled the bundle closer to myself keeping it away from danger. However, that would be a pointless gesture. There was no one here to help me out and there was no way in Odin's abode that I was going to defeat Sephiroth by myself. Damn, Cloud could barely do it himself and me and the rest of the Turks couldn't take him down before he got good at fighting! I was going to die and he was going to get the baby regardless of what I did. Wouldn't it just be easier to let him have the little guy?_

_The sound of the flames roaring around me and the stench of flesh made me feel even sicker. I was completely helpless and at his mercy which was definitely not a good thing. He stepped forward again, dragging along his ever sharp blade which reflected the flames menacingly._

"_Give me…a new body. Give that child…to me," he gasped as his eyes darkened in anger at my defiance._

_Jenova was looking at her son proudly and stroking his shoulders encouragingly. That bitch just wasn't going to give up was she? Besides, what kind of freak mother would touch her son that way?! That was just nasty!_

"_I'm not going to help your damn space bitch of a mother!" I shouted angrily. "She's just going to take over your fucking body!"_

_Anger flashed across his face which paled in comparison to the fury that burned in Jenova's eyes. Lifting up Masamune, Sephiroth charged towards me with the full intention of chopping my head off. I closed my eyes and cringed and I heard the sickening sound of metal meeting flesh. Surprisingly, I didn't feel anything._

_Opening my eyes, an awesome sight was before me. A large winged creature stood in front of me and was holding Masamune in his grip. Large golden wings were spread out completely, and the matching golden horns shimmered in the light of the flames. Pale flesh covered ripped muscles and pulsing arteries. In short, this was an absolute beast._

"_Think you can get through me?" the demon taunted._

"_I'll carve your doom into your flesh," Sephiroth replied angrily._

"_You'll have a hell of a time doing that," he hissed. "I'm Damnation, and nothing survives my wrath!"_

_His deafening roar busted my eardrums and rang through my head. I dropped to my knees and held the baby even closer in an effort to protect his ears. Blood splashed on my body, but whose it was, I didn't know._

_

* * *

_I woke up with a start. Rufus was still sleeping, but something was bothering me. The room was completely still and even the noise from the street was almost nothing. I could clearly hear my own breathing and it was beginning to speed up. Obviously I was preparing for something, but I wasn't sure what it was yet.

My eyes scanned the room seeing all the little details but nothing was out of place. My bag full of necessities was resting against the dresser and Rufus's stuff was next to the television. It was all as it should be. Except…there was now a recording disk lying next to the TV. I slid off the bed silently and picked it up. On it was written the words: If you want Mrs. Franklin off your back read this. I looked around nervously before pulling out Rufus's laptop to play the disk.

The face of Dr. Franklin showed up on the screen and he was sitting down in an office. He looked well kept and his face had concern on it. I bit my lip and watched the video nervously. Why would he be the one to tell me how to get rid of his wife?

"Hello there. This might seem strange, but let me assure you that this is not something that I am doing on a whim. I've been working with my wife for many years, but we have fought on many issues. I think that ever since she lost our child she has lost all of her senses."

"Ya think?" I snorted to the screen.

"Although I had admired Professor Hojo's work and believed in using the Jenova cells to help humanity, that idea has done to hell. We wanted to fix the problems that occurred with the Sephiroth experiments and Sheryl insisted on using our new techniques on our unborn baby. I reluctantly agreed and only then because we were so sure that we had fixed the problems. However, the procedure didn't work and it killed our baby as well as leaving her infertile. This drove her mad."

As I was listening I wasn't sure of what I should be thinking. Could I believe this fucker? He didn't seem so sane the last time I saw him, so what would be different now? He seemed completely sincere on the screen but that could be an act.

"All Sheryl wants is for us to be right. She was willing to do whatever it took to bring into this world the perfect super being. Once this child is born, Sheryl will probably lose her purpose in life and will settle down, maybe in a mental institute. What I am suggesting is that you come with me so that I can monitor the baby, then once it is born I'll take it off your hands and you can go free."

I was quite suspicious of the entire thing, but his tone was completely honest. Nothing on his face betrayed that he was anything but sincere.

"I'll leave the decision to you. I'm not behind the attack on the Shinra tower, so I've been busy doing everything I can to prepare for the baby. If you agree, send a message to 1657 Venus Ave. in Midgar by tomorrow. I'll be waiting for your reply. Thank you for listening."

With a smile and a nod, the image faded away.


	14. Terminus Part 1

**Chapter 14: Terminus Part 1**

**Thanks has to go to my wonderful beta, blackcat686, who is doing a great job. Thank you very much dear!**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Final Fantasy VII, Dirge of Cerberus, or any of the characters, I just mess with them for our entertainment. I only own my OCs and the story.**

A few days passed without much excitement and I was getting even more restless. After telling Tseng about the video we moved out of that hotel immediately. Rufus was pissed because he couldn't understand how the doctors were getting their information on our whereabouts, and I was pissed because I have never in my life sat down on my ass doing nothing for this long. I couldn't drink or smoke or even hit the brothels! It was driving me insane!

Now we were staying at a cheap bar that had rooms above it for guests. The little place was run by a guy a little older than me who had an honest face and a weary smile but it didn't help my mood out much. Since I was stuck with nothing to do, I ended up hanging around the guy as he cleaned the place up and cooked during the day. At night he had a few workers who helped to serve the patrons, but he did most of the work. I bet that he was thinking that I was a pregnant teenager who had the hots for him since I tagged along all the time, but I made sure that I never hinted at being available. I didn't want this poor fool broken-hearted once I left.

Thankfully, the guy didn't seem romantically interested in me. He just patiently kept me company and worked hard all day long. It seemed like he never took a moment to relax, and in my experience, there were only a few reasons that people would work that hard: they were trying to support a family, were broken-hearted, or were extremely hateful and trying to get revenge. Out of all of the choices, it seemed that my comrade was a broken-hearted man with nothing else to live for.

"Hey, Tuari," I called from my table in the eating room. "How the hell do ya beat this thing?"

It was hard trying to act like a pregnant woman, but I tried my best and that's why this stupid colorful cube in my hand wasn't imbedded in the wall across the room. The owner of the pub came over from cleaning a table and smiled as I tried in vain to get all the colors into the right order.

Tuari smiled softly and picked up the plastic box from my impatient hands. He looked over at all the colors and began to speak as he twisted and turned the stupid box in weird ways.

"First you want to get one side to have a cross in it of one color. Let's pick orange."

I watched as his deft fingers easily found the needed colors and set them into a cross shape at the top of the cube.

"Now, you want to solve for the orange and make the entire top section match."

With my Mako-enhanced mind, I began to pick up on the pattern. Twist this way to get that, or twist that way to get this, and don't forget about so and so. In no time at all, he solved the little cube with each side a solid color. Smiling at me, he twisted it all out of sync and handed it back to me.

"It takes a little practice, but it can become calming. I always solve that when I'm feeling stressed."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I remember teaching another kid how to solve that, but he didn't pick it up for a long time. As a matter of fact, I'm not sure if he ever really learned how to solve this thing."

I frowned as I watched his face fall some. It was a little different from the look that he would wear most of the day; it was a look of loneliness. He knew that whoever he was waiting for would never show up, but he still waited and suffered.

"What was he like?" I asked carefully as my thin fingers worked the little plastic cube.

Scrubbing at an imaginary spot, Tuari focused his attention on the table so that he wouldn't have to look me in the eye as he spoke.

"He was a kind boy who got into the military so that he could see the world. His naivety wouldn't allow him to think of having to kill people just because it was orders or of the harsh realities of war. All he knew about was the glorified stories of the Great General and the gilded stories of war that was printed in the newspapers. Many young troopers are like that, but he was special."

Having said that, Tuari glanced over at me as if he thought that I was going to gay bash him or something. Tch, if he knew my position he wouldn't have worried at all.

"Tuari, you look like you need to get something off your chest," I softly pushed. Hearing about other people's problems gave me something other than my problems to think about. "I'm cool with homosexuality, and I'm bi myself, so don't worry. I just want to lend you a shoulder. After all, it's the least I can do for you letting me tag around like an annoying pest."

He glanced at my belly before focusing back on the table in front of him. Running a hand through his hair, the guy sat down heavily on a chair and tugged his hair tie off. Rich dark hair fell over his shoulders and he shook it out a little.

"Well, you're probably too young to remember, but back in the days Midgar was in a war with Wutai and even after the war there were hostilities between the continents. Even people as far down as Junon were hateful of anyone with Wutaiese blood.

"I'm half-Wutaiese, so I wasn't able to get a decent job anywhere except in the pubs that the Shinra soldiers frequented. However, even the soldiers would mock me and avoid me once they found out that my mother was Wutaiese. I began resenting the country I was born in and the place that I worked at. I even hated these soldiers that were the defenders of my way of life."

Yeah, I remembered those days well enough. I didn't let this guy know it so that I didn't blow my cover, but even as a snot-nosed Turk I knew better than to hang around any Wutaiese that weren't related to Tseng. Things changed a few years later and I'm sure that Verdot had a little something to do with that. After all, his little pet Tseng was the best Turk out there and he couldn't have others treating him or his race badly.

"However, I ended up meeting the kindest and most honest person that had ever lived on this PLANET when I was working at that pub. One of the young troopers had just been promoted so a friend of his took him drinking. I knew the kid was under-aged, but I couldn't help but serve those two some drinks. They were so happy and excited that for the first time I found myself smiling." Tuari grinned softly at the memory. "The poor trooper gagged when he tried the beer, but at his friend's insistence he finished the drink off. Heh, I had to help the poor guy home since his friend was too busy skirt-chasing. After that day, he showed up more and more often. He would ask all kinds of questions, and his curious eyes never seemed sated. That's when I showed him this little toy."

He gestured towards the little cube that I had already solved and looked back down. I guess it was easier to speak about these things if he pretended that I wasn't there, and I didn't blame him. I wouldn't want to speak about personal things with a complete stranger either. Why he was telling me these things, I didn't know, but in the least it was keeping me out of trouble.

"The poor kid tried so hard for hours on end to solve the thing, but he just didn't have the knack for it. I showed him countless times, and he worked so hard at it. I never saw him solve it, but at the time it made me happy. This little thing always kept him coming back to me, to talk, to have fun, to…well, he was one of the first people to look past my race and truly look at me as an individual. I treasured him with all my heart, but one day he went out on a mission and he never came back."

Tuari bit his lip and clenched his eyes so that the painful memories wouldn't bring the tears and I felt his pain. I reached across the table and placed my hand on his. He looked up at me and I smiled.

"My lover and I had been dating for about a year and a half and I was sure that he was the one that I was going to stay with forever," I started off as I stroked his hand comfortingly. "I put so much into our relationship and then I ended up getting pregnant. He was the type of guy that was scared of being serious and having a family, so he ran off when he found out about it."

"I'm sorry," Tuari whispered.

I shrugged. "Eh, it couldn't be helped. I knew it was going to happen, but it still hurts quite a bit. To be honest, I'd take him back in a heartbeat, but I don't think he'll ever come back. At least I knew what to expect and could prepare myself. You didn't get that chance."

"I was told that he was killed during the mission, but somehow I can't give up on him. In my heart I still feel like he survived and is out there somewhere. There's no way that I can give up on him with these feelings in my heart."

My heart ached as I heard him speak so passionately about this trooper. He was willing to wait forever on his loved one no matter the pain it caused him. Would I be like that with Cloud? Waiting and waiting? Could I live with that pain?

"What was his name?" I asked softly. "You don't have to tell me if you don't feel comfortable with it."

He sighed softly and shook his head. "After I heard he was dead, I attempted suicide and ended up in a coma for several years. When I woke up after the Great General was defeated, I found out that I had some brain damage from the drugs I overdosed on. I can't remember his name or his troop number. I don't even remember where I was born along with many other things."

"Dang, that sucks."

"I know his face though," he said softly. "When I find him, I'll know just who he is, and that's all that matters."

"Why did you call Sephiroth, the Great General?" I asked curiously. "No one's done that since he tried to destroy the PLANET."

"I'm not sure," Tuari replied thoughtfully. "I kind of remember that the trooper practically worshipped the ground that the General walked on, so I can't bring myself to call him by anything less respectful."

"Hn."

We sat in silence for some time after that, and he soon went back to cleaning tables. My thoughts kept me company for the rest of the day but I was glad to see that Tuari seemed just a little bit happier. Hearing himself proclaim his willingness to wait seemed to have energized him some and I was happy for him. At least with this person I seemed to have brought happiness instead of death and despair.

That night I told Rufus all about our conversation and he listened patiently. He wasn't able to show his face anywhere that he went since he was so recognizable, so he ended up sitting in the room for the entire time. The Boss was more than happy to hear news of what's been going around.

Once I finished the story he leaned back and contemplated on what I told him. I just sat there looking at my toes while I still could; my belly was growing so quick that I wouldn't be surprised if it was a while before I saw those little guys. Sheesh, how the fuck was I supposed to take a piss if I couldn't even see where I was aiming?

"Sounds like the two of you were getting along pretty well."

"Eh? That's all you can say after hearing somethin' like that! Tha's cold, yo."

"It is sad, but what do you want me to say?"

"Be a little compassionate, Boss."

"Things like that happen all the time, Reno, you just have to get used to it. Granted, his story is sad, but I can guarantee you that it won't end well for him."

Rufus's words stung at me a little but I brushed it off. I didn't have to be a pessimist like he was. I could be a happy person who wanted to bring peace, joy, and happiness to the world. Tch, the hell I would.

"It's jus' awesome that someone can have that kind of patience and such feelings for someone."

I stretched out tiredly on the bed and grunted as one of the little buggers kicked the back of my belly button. I pulled up my shirt and with my pointer finger, I pressed down on the skin by my navel and chuckled when I was awarded with another firm kick. This one had some great coordination and he was probably gonna be hell on wheels when he was born. I looked up and noticed that Rufus had been staring at me. I raised my eyebrow as he quickly looked back down at his PDA.

"Oy, did you want somethin', Boss?"

"It's nothing, forgive me."

"C'mon, just tell me."

I rolled my eyes and walked over to that stubborn ass as he continued to pretend like he didn't want something.

"Really, it's nothing."

"Here, touch," I commanded.

His icy blue eyes looked right up into my belly and they softened. Those cold fingers reached up tentatively before he rested his cold palm on my warm stomach. Trying not to flinch away, I looked up at the freshly painted ceiling. Both of the little guys seemed to turn their attention to their uncle and gave him a piece of their mind. I snorted as I imagined how hyper they were going to be after they were born. Maybe one would have a head of bright yellow spiky hair and the other one would have a tangle of wild red hair. That would be just sickeningly cliché, but it was still kind of funny. Then again, only one of the little guys was actually mine and Cloud's so who knew what the hell the other one was going to turn out like. Probably another clone of Sephiroth or something.

The soft feeling of lips pressing against my skin sent chills across my body and I looked down in surprise to see Rufus kissing the sensitive flesh under my belly button. Immediately, my body began reacting to that tender touch in a not-so-innocent way. My breath was speeding up and I began to tremble a little; dear Shiva, Rufus was going to get a face full of an erection if he wasn't careful. Those wicked eyes looked up and caught my own and I nearly stopped breathing entirely. His tongue slipped out and lazily circled around the navel before dipping into it.

Since I hadn't had any physical pleasure in a long while, my body was more than eager for these kinds of touches. My knees buckled but Rufus was able to hold me up even in that awkward position. His surprisingly strong arms were wrapped around my thighs making him very close to a certain part of my anatomy that wasn't known for its self-control.

"S-stop," I panted as his tongue trailed up high enough to slip under the rolled up edge of my shirt. I wanted this so badly, but a piece of my mind was still holding on to Cloud. "Wh-what about V-vin?"

I gasped as he effortlessly eased my weak body on to the edge of the bed.

"I cannot be sated," he mumbled against my round stomach. "Come to me."

Those sharp eyes shone with intensity for something that I couldn't name. Perhaps it was the fact that there wasn't much blood left in my brain but I couldn't really understand what the hell he was talking about. However, a sinking feeling in my stomach made me worry even more.

"D-do you still have it?" I gasped as his cold hands slipped under my shirt. Although I didn't really want this, my body was winning the battle as it usually did.

"Hn? You mean the reason I always wear these infernal vests?"

Straightening up, he tossed off his ever present article of clothing carelessly onto the floor. Through the thin white shirt I could see the metal bars that were crisscrossed into his right nipple in the shape of a cross and boy did it make me hot.

"That's an, ah, i-improvement. I only made you get one, yo."

He just smiled, well more like smirked, at me before he pulled off the wig and kissed a flattened clump of red hair. My hardened member twitched eagerly and I was finding it impossible to resist his advances.

Wait, what the fuck was going on?! This was my little brother dominating me! What about his little love bunny, Vincent? That guy would eat my testicles if he saw me and Rufus together like this! Not to ruin the moment or anything, but I really would prefer to keep my balls right where they were.

"Take off your shirt," I whined, shocking myself.

I didn't want to say that at all! As a matter of fact, why the hell were my hands stroking his deliciously strong arms like that? What the fuck?! It seemed like my body was taking a little too much control over me this time. So much, in fact, that I couldn't do anything at all.

"No," he purred in my ear making me tremble even more pathetically. "I don't want you to see this scarred body, Damnation."

HOLY FUCKING SHIVA'S TITS.

My lips were already moving again on their own, "Chaos," my body gasped eagerly, "let me taste that mortal flesh!"

My body lunged hungrily at Rufus, attacking his lips brutally and bathing our tongues in his rich and tainted blood. However, it seemed that Rufus wasn't about to allow Damnation to do the dominating. He pushed me back roughly and attacked my tender throat, biting, sucking, and dragging his bloody tongue under my chin. This made Damnation groan in delight as his/my fingers began tearing the expensive shirt that was keeping us from feeling Rufus's skin.

Rufus had somehow managed to remove my shirt while he was still lavishing attention to my bruising throat and I was trying my damnest to get out of this insane situation. Damnation arched on the bed and groaned as the blond's teeth broke the skin on my neck and his tongue lapped at the warm blood. Using my body like this was not fucking acceptable, and I'll be damned if I let Damnation and my Boss get it on while I was trapped background. Somehow I needed to gain control of my body so I kick my Boss right in the nads!

"It's unbearable," Rufus growled as he pulled back in order to unbuckle his belt.

Shock was the only word that could describe what I felt as I stared at who I thought was Rufus. His pale flesh was scattered with raised scars from the attack by the WEAPON as well as the surgeries that followed had followed. For some reason, a large curved scar stretched from near his hip bone down to a few inches below his belly button caught my eye and I realized that it looked sickeningly familiar. However, the look on his usually masked face tore my attention away. Blood was smeared across his chin, lips, and cheeks and his still bleeding tongue slipped out to lick his thin lips. Those pale eyes were almost unreal as they stared down at my traitorous body. Those lips parted in a wicked smile and revealed the fangs that had easily torn the flesh of my neck.

"Chaos," Damnation moaned needily as his demonic hand stroked my stiff member. "How can you do this to me?"

"Allow me," the blond crooned as he lowered down to take care of my erection.

Easily tugging my pants down, Chaos or Rufus or whoever the hell that was, took a firm hold of my cock and licked the head firmly. Damnation nearly cried in pleasure while I was screaming in horror in my mind. This was too much! Was I in some sick dream again? Or was this reality?

The sound of the door breaking didn't really sink into my mind until Rufus was yanked away from me and an unnatural roar nearly shattered my eardrums.

"Chaos, don't you dare touch him!"

My eyeballs nearly popped out of my head as I saw the terrifying form of a demonic being standing over me and Rufus. Its large claws glimmered in the dim light of the room and its blood red eyes narrowed in on who I thought was Rufus. The blond snarled in anger but he backed up against the wall. Seeing that he wasn't going to fight, the beast turned its attention to me.

"Damnation," he hissed in warning as his clawed hand took a painful hold of my lower jaw, "you need to snap out of it. If you want to keep your body intact, use your magic to nullify his magic."

"Why do you torment me?!" hissed the Rufus-look-alike. "I need my body back, Valentine! Give it to me!"

I was released and the beast turned back on the other person in the room. "You won't dare to take me on with that weak body, Chaos, so be still. You know that I'm trying to get you and your body back, but if you keep me busy controlling you, then I'll never get it done!"

Shiva, if this wasn't happening to me I would have thought that this scene was like a weird demon soap opera. Too bad my face was hurting and my ears were ringing.

"What the hell is-" Tseng froze at the doorway as he stumbled onto this strange scene. "Shiva…"

The creature looked warily at the blond before straightening out. His figure began to shift and change into the familiar form of Vincent. The ex-Turk adjusted his heavy cloak and turned to Tseng; at the same time, I could feel Damnation also giving me back control so that he didn't have to deal with the situation. Strangely enough, I saw the older man rubbing his chest as if he was in pain and a single pulse of massive energy made me shudder before it was shoved down.

"Tseng, I apologize," Vincent replied. "Please make sure that no one witnessed any of that."

Nodding Tseng turned and followed the order and left the three of us in the room. An awkward silence and tensions filled the room as I looked around stupidly hoping that Vincent would do something other than stand there. Rufus hadn't budged and it was making me a little nervous.

After a few seconds, Vincent over to Rufus and pulled his chin up to see the bloodied face. I could tell that it still wasn't Rufus in control of the body and I bit my lip nervously. What the fucking hell?! Was that Rufus or was it some imposter? Did Tseng know about this? Did anyone know the hell about this?!

"Chaos," Vincent began quietly, "why aren't you giving up your control?"

"I crushed his control, Valentine," he spat angrily, "and it will take some time before he will be able to take it back."

"What the fuck does that mean?!" I asked angrily. Hearing that it was my Boss and that he couldn't take control was pissing me off. This was Rufus we were talking about!

"Reno, please," Vincent chided. "The bond between demon and human is very complicated, especially with Rufus."

"When the hell did he get Chaos inside of him? I thought that you had him! Why didn't I know? What the fucking hell is going on here?!"

By now I near hysterical. There was too much going on right now and I was in no condition to take it. Normally, I wouldn't be in a condition to take it and now? Shit, I was going to need a nice long nap by the time this was over with.

Vincent sighed wearily before leaving Rufus's side to sit next to me. "Reno, I did a terrible thing to Rufus. Do you remember how sick he was with Geostigma and from the infections from the WEAPON attack?"

"Yeah, the Boss wasn't allowed to see anyone, an' they thought he was gonna die." Feeling his calming presence soothed my overwhelmed mind some and I was able to at least follow along.

"I…well, to make a long story short I attempted to do what Lucrecia had done for me many years ago. Rufus was going to die, so I panicked. I was sure that the only reason I was still alive was because I was carrying Chaos within me." Those sorrowful crimson eyes rested on the form of Rufus before he continued in a quieter tone. "I was able to force a part of Chaos into him."

My mouth was hanging open at this point. There was no way that Vincent just did all that for the Boss on a whim. He would have only done that if Rufus meant a whole lot to him which meant that they had to be lovers all the way back then. What the hell? When did they get together? This incident happened nearly a year before the Remnants came back!

"Are you fucking with me Valentine?! That happened almost a full year before the Remnants showed up! And you were able to force part of a _demon_ into my Boss?"

Shifting uncomfortably, Vincent turned his attention back to me and hid the lower half of his face under the collar of his cape.

"Rufus wouldn't want you to know, and for good reason too, but we-"

"Yeah, I know you guys are banging," I snorted.

It looked like Vincent was trying his best not to blush and that made me feel a little better. I was still sane and able to make an old man blush in shame. Sweet. Too bad this didn't really make the situation any better. If Rufus had this demon inside of him for so long, then how the hell didn't we find out about it much sooner? From what I could see, Chaos didn't like being in Rufus and was able to take over, so why never before?

"Well, I went to visit him after his first surgery and one thing led to another…and well, you can say that we've kept in touch."

"You screwed my invalid Boss only weeks after the world was saved?"

"Er, you don't have to put it that way."

"Ok, so how is it that you put a part of Chaos into Rufus? What about the other part that I met?"

"I'm not completely sure myself, but I believe that I had managed to trap Chaos's powers and lusts into Rufus's body while I retained everything else. And yes, that is the Chaos that you met."

"So why was he trying to screw me? And what does that have to do with taking over my body?"

When the ex-Turk looked even more uncomfortable I knew that I was treading on some sensitive ground. Too bad I didn't give a damn; I was nearly raped by a demon, so I have every right to know about this shit. And no, I didn't get _any_ pleasure from seeing this composed guy squirm. Nope, not one bit.

"It's obviously not natural for Chaos to be divided and so there is a force that drives him to become one once again. I am the one who holds his body, so even though Rufus has his power, his body is too frail to use it without destroying the body. Chaos knows this and it only makes him desire his body even more. During…copulation…uh, well, that's the closest us beings can get to being one, and in this…act…Chaos seems to become one for a moment."

"You mean sex, yo?" Copulation? Dang, he should stick to using normal terms for sex.

"Yes, that. Anyway, this becoming one is able to sate his lusts for a while but because he is a greedy demon it doesn't last too long. That's when he tries to break away from Rufus into another body, but he hasn't been successful yet. Also, I still seem to be able to control Chaos in a way that Rufus cannot. For some reason, he is absolutely under Chaos's will, but I can force that will down along with the Chaos residing inside my own body."

"And you don't know why?"

"No, I don't have a clue as to why. I've been getting my hands on some of Lucrecia's research in an attempt to figure out why as well as finding a way to reverse this."

An awkward pause followed while I thought over what we had just talked about. There was so much that I still didn't know about my Boss and it was unnerving. I wasn't used to not having information. After all, a Turk can't get the job done if he doesn't have the right info.

Realizing that I was still pretty naked, I quickly made myself presentable and Vincent had the decency to turn away.

"Tch, ya think I've never changed in front of others, yo?"

"I'm just being respectful."

"Hey, Vinnie," he twitched at the nickname, "you know the Boss's body better than I do, so what's up with that scar-"

At that moment, Rufus slumped over and his head hit the floor loudly. Having faster reflexes than I did (and that's saying something), Vincent was at his side, checking the swollen bump. Rufus groaned in pain, but didn't say anything else.

"Rufus, are you there?" Valentine asked concernedly.

Only another pained grunt came from the Boss as he tried to stand.

"You shouldn't try an' get up, Boss," I offered but was graced with the middle finger.

"Dang, Vinnie taught you all kinds of new things."

Before Vincent had a chance to reply, Tseng came in. As usual, not a hair was out of place and he didn't look one bit frazzled. Heh, he was quite the opposite of me and Vincent at the moment.

"Mr. President, let me help."

Pushing Vincent away, Tseng helped Rufus to the bed and covered him up in the blankets. A few moments later he turned to the both of us and frowned.

"I apologize, Tseng," Vincent started.

"You were lucky this time, Valentine," Tseng reprimanded sharply. "The owner of this place had gone out for some groceries and no one else witnessed you losing control. And you," he turned and pointed a finger at me, "you need to get control of that demon. If you keep losing it like that, we won't have any choice but to lock you up."

I was taken aback by his harsh words and I couldn't believe that he was threatening to lock me up! Anger flared, but I was able to control my words.

"Well, I'm pretty damn sorry that I've never had a fucking demon inside my body trying to take control. 'Ts not like I know what the fuck to do."

"That's why I'm giving you the chance to learn," he replied. "Now, Vincent, I need to discuss something with you in private and then I want you to help Reno out. Damnation is too out of control."

"Yes."

Going outside the room, Tseng and Vincent left me alone with Rufus. I looked at his exhausted form and I wondered what it felt like for an anal retentive person to get shown up by a demon. Somehow Chaos managed to crush my brother's extreme control and took over him. It just went to show that I really had no clue what kind of hell I was in. What chance did I stand? I could barely control myself when I didn't have a demon, and now?

"Shit, this sucks."

"_Do you think that I'm going to let us get locked up?"_

"Go to hell, I'm not talking to you."

"_Do you remember what I told you?"_

"Fuck off."

"_Well, just so you know there-"_

"I said shut up!" I hissed in annoyance as I made my way to the window to open it up. This demon was seriously pissing me off.

The sound of a gun firing barely registered before I felt something sink into my chest. Looking up in surprise I saw a small hole in the window and a person with a large tranquilizer gun on the roof across the street. The individual was dressed in a disguise that covered his face and figure, but that was a high powered gun. Looking down I saw the empty needle that was imbedded into my chest.

"_This is why you should listen to me you asshole."_

_

* * *

_The next thing I knew I was strapped down on a table with a glaring light in my face.

"Fuck," I groaned as I tested the straps. If these babies weren't SOLDIER proof then I had a one way ticket to freedom.

"Reno, you really know how to piss people off."

"What can I say?" I replied. So the bitch was here, where was her demented hubby?

"Without the proper treatment, you could destroy what we've been working so hard for."

"What are you talking about?"

"Our experiment needs major doses of Mako on a continuous basis if he is to become the next Sephiroth. Without it, who knows what would become of the child?"

The rest of the room was dark so I couldn't see where exactly she was but my hearing told me that she was now headed in my direction. I wasn't disappointed when she came to the edge of the light. Her thin hand pressed gently against my stomach and I tried to pull away, but it was in vain.

"Reno, you are the perfect vessel for this experiment, but there are two imperfections that we need to remove."

Dread clenched my heart tightly. "What the fuck are you talking about now?" I asked thickly.

"I wasn't aware that you were carrying Cloud's children, but I should have expected that. You see, Mako has so many side effects that we aren't able to document them all. As a matter of fact, Mako also affects different individuals in different ways so there are countless side-effects that could happen. It also depends on how much Mako was put into their system and for how long. There are just so many possibilities!"

"If you think that I'm just going to sit around and let you carve out my children, than you're dead wrong, bitch."

My heart was beating so painfully and all I could do was wish that Cloud would show up and save the day. Fat chance of that actually happening. By now, he was probably all the way to the crater. Besides, how the hell did I manage to get kidnapped? Vincent and Tseng were there, so what the hell?

"My dearest Reno, you don't really have a choice in the matter. If we kill them and pull them out of the way, then we would be free to work with the experiment in a much better environment."

Now my mind was running full blast and some, thanks to the Mako. "But if you try to abort them now, your experiment would be in danger."

"Excuse me?"

Yeah, I know that Elena had read something like this in that huge encyclopedia on babies and pregnancy. Who gave a damn if I was a little wrong?

"Especially if your experiment is in the same amniotic sac as another child. Cutting out Cloud's baby would cause trauma to the placenta and it might quit working. That would put a quick end to your sick tests."

"_Do you even have a placenta?"_

That fucker sure picked the best moments to annoy the shit out of me.

"Then isn't that what you would want, Reno?"

"Listen, I'm hormonal, I have a fucking demon inside of me, my boyfriend just abandoned me, I'm strapped to some table to be your experiment, and you have the nerve to ask me what I want? A gil's worth of lead in my head would do nicely."

Sheryl laughed and patted my stomach happily. "You're absolutely right. Besides, no matter what damage the Mako does to your little freaks it will have no bearing on our research. After all, we'll just kill them after we deliver our experiment."

Hearing her speak like that made me sick, but I just smiled sweetly.

"You got it! That'll work!"

Pleased with herself, Sheryl walked out of the room to probably create some sick cocktail that would kill me in a few years.

"_Proud of yourself, mortal? Now we're both going to die."_

"If you're so big and bad, why the hell don't you get us out of here."

"_If I completely take over your body it would kill the babies, and there is no doubt in my mind that Chaos would obliterate my body and soul if I did that."_

"So you are scared of that guy?"

"_Yep."_

"Why?"

"_You really are an idiot aren't you?"_

The door opened again and this time someone smaller than the psycho bitch came in. Much smaller, almost like a child. Forcing my eyes to adjust to the contrast of the bright light and the dark room, I watched as a young child not older than seven walked towards me. There was something really familiar about this kid's figure.

Shaggy and filthy black hair hung to the child's shoulders and a blindfold covered its eyes. Even as the child came closer I wasn't able to tell if it was a boy or a girl. Those nearly translucent arms and legs weren't much thicker than my wrist and its waist was probably the size of my thigh alone. Dang, and I'm even underweight!

"Who're you?" I asked as the child set down a tray full of needles and other unmentionables.

Even with its eyes covered, the child tilted its head towards me. It seemed to stare at me for a while before going back to arranging things on the tray. How did it know where to put things if its eyes were covered? When the child wouldn't reply, I realized that it probably couldn't. There was a strap around its throat that had some kind of device near where the Adam's apple would be.

"I thought that the Franklin's couldn't have kids." There was still no response, and the kid just kept working. "It's lonely in here kid, can you make some signal that you at least understand me?"

The kid ignored me and I gave it up. Instead, I just tried to find some info on this unfortunate kid. There were old deep scars around its ankles and wrists and even more scars littering what skin was exposed. For these, some were old and some were new. My powerful eyes also picked up on the fact that the knot from the blindfold was so old that the cloth was practically fused.

"What did they do to you?" I asked sadly.

If this was the life that their experiments lived, then I would rather kill myself and spare my babies from this. I wasn't going to let them turn any child from my body into that.

The child finished with its work and paused for a moment to "look" at me. His bony fingers ghosted over my heavily pregnant stomach sending pleasant little sensations through my body. It took me only a moment to realize that he was spelling something on my flesh. N-i-b-e-l-h-e-i-m.

"What are you up to Number 1?" Damon asked patiently in the stillness. The child immediately dropped its hand before bowing its head and walking to him respectfully. "Answer me Number 1," he commanded with a tone of amusement. A small noise came from the child before it shuddered in pain. "Good." Damon patted the kid's head fondly. "Hehe, Number 1 has made me quite proud. He's as close to a prototype that we have for the clone of Sephiroth right now."

"You're a sick bastard, you know that?" I spat at him.

"Oh, Reno, you really have no idea."

The insane man leaned over and slowly dragged his tongue up the sickly child's cheek before he heartlessly shoved the kid out of the room. At that moment I realized why I recognized that kid. That was the fucking person who shot me!

Snapping on heavy latex gloves, Damon grabbed the longest needle on the tray before he pressed it against my belly button.

"This might sting a little," he warned sadistically before he plunged it through the flesh and into my abdomen.

If I wasn't a Turk who had learned how to endure numerous types of tortures, I would have broken down and cried like a piece of shit. He was obviously injecting some kind of shit into my Mako womb and it felt like liquid fire was filling up my body. I was sure that I could survive this, but I highly doubted that Cloud's kids would hold up so well.

It wasn't fair! They were just innocent babies trying to grow up inside my body and they were already being tortured! Why the hell was this happening? I tugged uselessly at the restraints, and the bastard just kept poking me and taking notes. Sometimes he would check some computer screens before going back to work.

"_Once you get these things out of your body, I'm going to rip that mortal to shreds."_

"You and me both," I hissed as another painful injection made its way into me.

"It seems that you're about twenty-five weeks along," the mad-scientist mumbled as he took a few more notes.

Twenty-five weeks along?! It's been that long? Let's see that would be…barely seven months! Had it really been seven months? It was so hard to keep up with everything that had been happening, and it really shouldn't surprise me that I hadn't been keeping track of time. After the first time Damnation took over my body, I've been pretty screwed up in the head. I can't even remember the several weeks I spent in the hospital recovering.

Another jab in the gut brought me back into reality and I clenched my eyes shut. "Damnation, you got any good stories?" I whispered as I tried to disassociate myself from the pain.

"_Nope."_

"You really suck, you know that? Taking over my body and not even having the decency to give me a story."

"_And you're an idiot who got us into this situation."_

"Fuck you and your mama."

"_Hmm, that would be fine, but I don't have a mother.."_

"Then we're more alike than you might want to admit."

Damon didn't seem bothered at all with the fact that I was talking to myself, and if I knew mad scientists well enough I bet he was probably taking note on the whole thing. I was still pretty confused about the fact that a little kid managed to shoot me and get me away from Vincent. He was a beast through and through and put my Mako enhanced body to shame.

"What did you do to that kid?" I asked knowing that if I got an answer it wouldn't be a good one.

"I made him into my eyes, ears, and hands."

"Why? Why would you hurt an innocent kid, bastard?"

The look in his eye guaranteed that no matter how good he acted, he was a nut. This was a truly insane person.

"Because I can. Besides, how else was I supposed to keep up with your comings and goings? Nothing but the son of a beast could keep up with well trained Turks and that damned Valentine."

"Son of a beast?" This guy was full of all kinds of surprises. However, if he did answer me, it only meant on thing. I wasn't going to live through this.

"Yes, the son of the PLANET's harbinger."

"What the fuck are you talking about?"

"Maybe I'll tell you a little later, Reno."

With that, he resumed his ruthless observations. Letting my eyes slide shut, I called upon an old trick that had pulled me through thick and thin. Focusing on the pain in my stomach, I felt each agonizing throb of heat. I saw myself reaching out to that pain and taking a hold of it in my hand. This was my body, and I could control it all. Squeezing my hand, I was crushing the pain, pushing it away. All I had to do was stay in this state, stay away from the reality.

* * *

My eyes blinked sleepily and I began wondering what pulled me out of my trance-like state. I had been dreaming of living in a nice two storied house with Cloud, somewhere outside Midgar's city limits. Yeah, we had a nice chocobo corral out back and it was all good. Unfortunately, reality's a bitch.

"What's going on, yo?" I croaked as I looked around.

I was in a new room and this one had a wall that was made of reinforced glass. Probably SOLDIER proof too. The rest of the walls were made of solid cement and there was only a single light bulb illuminating the small room. On the other side of the glass wall, there was a large screen television that would have made even Rufus jealous. Leaning against the wall was a smug looking Sheryl and Damon.

"What the fuck are you two smirkin' about?" I growled as I rubbed my now free wrists.

There was no table with straps, no glaring light, absolutely nothing. Nothing but the screen that was on the other side. Now that I was paying attention, I could see that the screen was showing an image of the front of Shinra Mansion. A car was pulling up and I tilted my head in curiosity.

"What's this, yo? Do I get a movie night or something?"

"Just watch," Damon replied through some kind of speaker system. "Number 1 and Number 2 gave us a heads up about our visitor and I'll think you'll enjoy the show."

Cold dread clenched my heart and I felt my heart fall to my stomach when I saw a pissed Rufus getting out of the car alone. He had his trusty gun, but I knew that these two bastards probably had a pretty good security system going on.

"Rufus, you stubborn ass," I groaned quietly as I watched him prepare for his break-in.

He was doing everything right, except that he didn't have anyone to get his back. I bet that he grew impatient and decided to head off here all by himself. Other than the fact that my Boss was a stubborn idiot, I had to admit that he was a pretty good fighter. Unfortunately, the WEAPON attack took most of that away from him and now that blind eye was a major disadvantage, but not the only disadvantage.

"C'mon, just get out of here," I begged as my worry increased. "Go get Tseng, or someone else!"

Deaf to my pleas, Rufus entered the building cautiously. The camera shifted to one inside the building and it wasn't long before the first wave of attacks came. There were half-experimented monsters mixed in with the mindless soldiers and they were intent on killing the intruder. However, they underestimated my Boss and he was able to single-handedly take out the whole troop. I would have cried in pride if I wasn't so worried sick that he still wasn't going to be ok. Although he lived through that wave, there was bound to be a few more. If he had that oversized cat he used to own he might have stood a better chance, but in his position it was only time before his luck ran out. Shiva, please let someone else come and help him out.

* * *

"Fuck," Rufus hissed as he reloaded his gun again.

He knew that he shouldn't have come by himself, but he couldn't stand waiting any longer. The WRO just _had_ to pick this time to throw a major assault on the Tsevites! Because of that, Vincent and all the other ex-members of AVALANCHE were off trying to save the world again. Even the other Turks were off helping them, even if they did protest. He knew that saving the PLANET first was a better tactical decision, but he couldn't accept that. It would take too long and he was sure that Reno couldn't wait any longer. Once again his impatience forced him into a no-win situation. However, if he could at least post-pone the doctor's torturing his Turk anymore than he was fine with that.

At the moment he was missing his precious Dark Nation. Grief pressed heavily against his chest, but he had to push it aside. Dark Nation was dead now and Reno was not, so Reno had to come first. Mourning could come later.

Looking around uneasily, he made his way to the likeliest place to hold Reno: the basement. It was hard to be aware of your surroundings when you could only see with one eye. His depth perception left much to be desired but he sucked it up and kept going. Besides, no sight in one eye wasn't as bad as the lingering effect of paralysis from the Geostigma and shrapnel slicing through some of his nerves that saturated his left side. A few more soldiers and monsters attempted to stop him before he made it to the stairs, but he was able to take them all down.

Every one of his senses was on high alert and his gut was telling him not to go down those stairs. The whole situation had the stench of a set-up and he _knew _it. Taking a deep controlled breath, he took that first cautious step on the old rotting staircase. One would think that the crazy doctors would at least invest a little into fixing these dangerous things.

"_I need to get a body soon," _Chaos growled, tugging at Rufus's feeble control

Really, why the hell did he have to be cursed with a demon? It was an absolute pain in the ass to struggle for control and to keep this bastard from whoring himself out just so that he could get another body. If only he had the ability to shove the demon back into the depths of his mind like Vincent could…

Finally making it to the bottom of the staircase, the President looked around and seeing nothing he moved forward silently. Being sure to keep his breathing controlled and silent, Rufus made his way to the partially opened door on the other side of the room. The sound of a cocking gun echoed in the silence and the last Shinra jumped back to avoid the shot that soon followed.

With the sound of the blood rushing echoing in his ears, he turned to his blind side where the shot came from and aimed at the target. Unfortunately, his grip went slack when he saw a blindfolded child holding gun out directly at him. Pain shot through his heart as his good eye took in the sight of the starved and tortured child. That dark hair and fair skin, no it couldn't be.

"Never let your guard down," an empty voice warned from the other side and Rufus turned to face a near identical copy of the child in the blindfold.

This one's eyes were blank and his body lacked the physical scars, but it was easy to see that his mind was full of them. He also held out a gun steadily and aimed it right at the blond.

The strong-willed President let his gun drop as he stared in horror and agony at the two children who were going to kill him. It was too cruel, this wasn't supposed to be like this. When Vincent found out he would-

The loud echo of a gun being shot off filled the small room and Rufus stumbled back from the force of the bullet. A spray of blood painted the grey wall behind him as he fell against the stone. Another shot rang out and the blond Shinra slid down the wall, his moist eyes staring blankly at the young assassins and a stream of red running down his face.

* * *

"NOOOO!!"

I couldn't believe my damn eyes, I just couldn't! The same kid who had told me where I was had gotten on Rufus's blind side and he and another one just murdered the President before my very eyes.

My now bloody hands were beating futilely against the reinforced glass before I collapsed to my knees. The other child that I had never seen before walked up to the slumped form of my little brother and added another bullet into his head for good measure.

The terrible screams of horror from not only me, but Damnation as well filled the room, deafening me to anything else. Rage boiled inside of me, but there was nothing I could do! I was helplessly stuck in this cage, and I couldn't even get this fucking demon to help me because it would kill the innocent babies. At the moment I was seriously considering just forgetting the babies and letting Damnation rip this place apart.

Rufus had been my lover, my Boss, my brother, and a whole lot of in-between for as long as I had been in the Turks. My duty was to protect him no matter what the cost was to my life, and here I was watching his murder. I failed him in so many ways, and it tore me up. There had to have been some way to save him, I just didn't find it in time. Now? He was dead. Rufus, the last Shinra, was dead.

My mind was cracking under the emotional strain, but so was that damn wall. Large cracks began forming as Damnations fury flowed through my veins and my Mako-enhanced body kept punching the only thing that had kept me from rescuing Rufus. All of my hatred and anger seemed to be giving energy to the demon within me, feeding his blood-thirsty soul.

"You bastards, I'll kill you, I'll kill every fucking one of you! I'll make sure you rot in fucking hell!"

I was in such a rage that I couldn't even tell how those doctors were reacting. All I knew was the pain, the hatred. With one final punch, the entire wall shattered, raining down the sharp shards. I felt several tranquilizers land into my body, but I just ripped them out. My mangled hands were already healing up and I was sending out some kind of magic. Things were burning, screams were echoing, and I didn't know what the hell was going on. I no longer had the person whom I trusted to keep me on the edge of my sanity no matter what.

* * *

"Damon, he's going to destroy everything!" Sheryl screeched as she clamped both hands over her ears when another agonized scream echoed down the hall.

"Don't worry, love," the doctor grunted as he input some information into the computer that was currently hooked up to the child called Number 2. "Number 1 will keep him busy until Number 2 is ready."

"That damn modem needs to burn in hell, it's too slow!"

"Patience, love."

The doctor cranked up the volume, streaming information into the boy's mind and the child began convulsing from the mental overload. A few complicated algorithms later, Damon finally nodded to himself before yanking the kid off the machine. Blood splattered and the boy cried out as the cables that had been attached to his body were ripped away.

"Now get out there and stop Reno!" commanded Sheryl.

Obediently, the child headed towards the danger zone while Sheryl looked over at her husband.

"What?" he asked nonchalantly as the sounds of more explosions and fighting erupted.

"We need to move out before the others get here. No doubt that since the Shinra brat got here, his bitches will be right behind."

"I'm not so sure, dear. I heard that the Tsvietes were causing some problems," he replied and sighed. "However, it's best not to take chances. Let's pack up while those two worthless experiments handle Reno. If our baby dies again, those two will wish that they had never been born."


	15. Terminus Part 2

**Chapter 15: Terminus Part 2**

**NOTE: Like the last chapter, this baby changes POV.**

"This is stupid," hissed Cloud as the ex-AVALANCHE prepared to take down Hojo's final attempt at destroying the world.

"I'm not happy about this either," Vincent replied quietly as he adjusted his gauntlet and checked up on his Materia. An uneasy feeling was making his chest constrict and he knew that he needed to be in _perfect _condition to fight. "However, if we don't finish this here and now, there might not be a Reno to save. We have to believe that he can survive for now. He's a strong man, a professional Turk. It will-"

"Just shut up," Cloud growled as he slipped goggles which looked suspiciously like Reno's over his eyes. "He's not going to wait forever."

Vincent remained silent before making his way to the airship and Cloud just ran a hand through his dull hair as he pushed Fenrir into the back of Barret's truck. The older man didn't blame Cloud at all, he just had to force himself to focus on the task at hand. For a moment he contemplated giving Rufus one last call. The younger man had been utterly pissed when the decision had been made to destroy the Tsevites first, and Vincent had been afraid that Rufus would act rashly.

Even after he had tried to convince the Shinra President, he wasn't fully confident that Rufus was going to be all right sitting in a safe area, surrounded by guards for his protection. Rufus was never one who sat back and let others take action.

The roar of the engines brought Vincent back to the present situation and he pushed back the desire to check up on the reckless man. Kind words were never said enough and it ate at him as much as the guilt of burdening him with demons did.

"Pull yourself together," he chided himself with dread weighing down his mind.

Although he desired to be more affectionate to the blond, he just couldn't bring him to do it. Thoughts of Lucrecia were constantly in his mind and he couldn't just push them away. She had meant more than life to him and he had loved and suffered all because of her. Even with her frozen existence in the crystals, he couldn't move on. Had she ever truly loved him as much as he loved her? Had she cherished their moments? It was hard to believe that considering all the shit he had forced her to live through, but he would still hope. Unfortunately, as long as he was left without those answers, he couldn't move on to care for Rufus as much as he should have.

"You alright, Vincent?" Yuffie asked worriedly.

Her head cocked to the side as she slowly swung her Conformer besides her still thin legs. She had grown up some during the years since Sephiroth's first defeat, but a childish innocence still covered her smaller body. Innocence that such an old sinful soul like him could never again attain.

"I'm fine. Are you ready?"

"Heh, are you kidding?! We get awesome gliders!"

Smiling warmly, Yuffie placed her delicate hand on his shoulder. With that, she turned around and headed back to the cockpit to bother Cid. Wind currents jolted the masterpiece of a flying vessel, but it didn't bother him. Unlike Cloud and Yuffie, he didn't get airsick. Thankfully, the young ninja had found a medication that would help her for this mission and Cid wouldn't have to worry about cleaning the upholstery again.

The sound of machinery creaking and the wind rushing over the metal encasing the battle-ready passengers helped the dark-haired man to focus on the upcoming battle. Any distraction or worry would be pointless and would give his opponents an opportunity to strike. That was something that he could not afford. First, however, he should go talk to Shelke and see how she was doing.

* * *

"How's that Cloud doin'?" Cid mumbled to Yuffie as she came into the cockpit.

"Mmm, he was pretty pissy and Vinnie didn't seem any better."

"Tch, ain't that jus' what we fucking need. These Tsevite bastards couldn't pick a damn better time to get us all off guard."

"You got that right, old man!"

"Aw, shut up you pup. So, I know that Cloud's fucked in the head right now 'cause his ex was kidnapped, but what's Valentine's deal? Did his fuck buddy yell at him?"

Yuffie grinned a little sadly as only a tinge of bitterness echoed in his words. "Well, he and Rufus did get into a little tiff because we had to use his Turks to help us with this. It seemed like Rufus wanted to save Reno first, which is understandable, but ol' Vinnie didn't let that happen."

"Well, it's not like Vincent don't know what the hell he's talkin' about! He's been around a lot fucking longer than that brat has and he was a top-notch Turk ta boot. Rufus don't understand that if we don't end this shit now, there won't be nobody to save anymore."

"Now, now, I'm sure he understands that, Cid, he's just worried. You'd have argued too if it was Vincent who had been captured."

Cid clamped his mouth shut over the round stub of a cigarette and looked ahead at his destination. Yuffie might have been a much younger girl, but she had a wisdom that the old pilot couldn't deny. That's why she was his confidant, a person who never judged him and who always had a shoulder to lean on. Damn it all if he wasn't embarrassed to have to get help from a kid right out of the cradle.

"Quit you're yapping, girly. You need ta get ready for the assault."

Throwing away the dying cigarette, he placed a new one into his mouth and chewed on it nervously as he maneuvered the heavy craft through the air. It took only a few more seconds before they were entering into dangerous territory. Using one hand to light up the cigarette, he glanced over at the young ninja.

"Get your skinny ass to the bay."

"Yes sir!" she replied as she patted his shoulder. "Let's kick some booty!"

* * *

It had all been ok. Really, it had. Even when Rosso had torn that strange materia from his body, and Chaos had been a little more unwilling to submit, everything was still ok. Part of Chaos being trapped within Rufus's body had actually been a good thing, but everything was far from fine now.

He had been in complete control, fighting off the demons when a sudden surge of foreign power coursed through his fiery veins. It seemed that there suddenly wasn't enough air, like the very breath was being crushed out of his lungs by an invisible beast. Voices were mere whispers as the cold pale moon washed over his morphing skin and a guttural roar tore through his throat. Hatred and blood-lust crushed his mind, completely overrunning everything that he had spent years controlling and creating.

Panic. Choking unabashed fear raced through the remnants of his mind. That was definitely the entirety of Chaos fusing into his body, the unbelievable power pouring out of his immortal form. There was no reason, no explanation for Chaos to be free and complete. It was necessary to use the beast's power, but as the darkness swallowed him mercilessly, fear filled his heart.

* * *

Hot tears poured from my eyes as I rested on the cold floor of my cell. Those two brats ended up shooting me with Mako darts until I overdosed. Now I was lying here, suffering from the Mako poisoning. But that just didn't really matter to me now; the suffering from having seen my brother murdered hurt so much worse. Over and over, those images played in my mind, torturing my every breath.

Why did I let him die? I had always been there before, I had always protected him, except…except…

The WEAPON attack. I hadn't been there for him at that time either and he had ended up in the hospital for months, almost years. Back then he had suffered greatly, and now? Now he was dead because of my stupidity.

Tseng would probably give me a silent look of understanding and would never outright blame me, but I know that inside he would. He would probably blame himself too for turning his attention elsewhere, even if only for a moment, but it really wasn't his fault. I was here, it was my fault.

"S-shiva," I sobbed as I curled up tighter, sickness washing over my pain wracked body.

If gods were all-powerful, why the hell didn't they help him?! Rufus didn't deserve to be murdered by psychotic people's child-soldiers! He deserved only the best, even in his fucking death! Damn it all, he was too perfect, too regal to deserve such a brutal murder.

I hate those doctors far more than any human should be able to hate. I hate them for what they did to me, for what they're doing to the babies, for what they're doing to those kids, and for making those kids murder Rufus. I hate every fucking ounce of them and I am going to fucking kill them. Yes, I am going to murder them far more cruelly than they had killed Rufus and that will almost be enough to pay them back. No amount of torture can ever truly repay them for this horror. I can never ever forgive them, in all the years that I will live.

A pain throbbed in my stomach making me cringe. This pain had been around since I woke up and it worried me. Granted, I didn't feel like worrying much with the grief choking me, but now it was getting stronger. Was the Mako hurting my babies?

"Guh, if…if…"

Curling up tighter in a ball even more anger flared up. Those doctors were trying to kill _my _babies just as cruelly as they killed Rufus, and I wasn't going to fucking have any of that. I wasn't going to fail them like I failed the Boss.

Looking around, I bit my lip as only silence filled my ears. There were no guards, no murderous children, not even pissy crazy scientists. Oh I was sure that if I got down the hall there would be a wall of enhanced experimental humans, but I'd just worry about that when I got there. All that I had to worry about for now was the SOLDIER proof bars that held me back.

My hands were still sore and in pain from the last time I broke through something SOLDIER proof, could I even do it again? Then again, why bother going through the bars and down the hall to face guards? Yep, breaking through the damn walls were going to be easier.

Lifting myself off the stone floor, I winced as my skin peeled painfully from the rock leaving bright red marks on my flesh. Sickeningly, there was a tinge of green rising to the surface as well. The thin fabric of my patient's gown rode up on my thin legs, but modesty was the least of my issues.

I hobbled to the wall slowly, my limbs numb from staying in one position for so long and pain making me lean forward in an attempt at the fetal position while standing up. I figure that the back wall will probably led to a main room of sorts, so a better choice would be one of the side walls. With some luck, which I am sorely in need of, one of the walls could lead to outside and I would be home free. I concentrated on my hearing and wasn't surprised not to hear any nature sounds. This cell was inside some building.

"Fucking shit. Holy fucking shit!"

Forcing myself out of my doubled over position, I leaned all of my weight against one of the solid walls and braced myself against it.

"You think you can stop me, you piece of shit? Hah, l-like I'll let you stop me. I've got things to do."

Spreading my fingers wide, I dug them into the mortar surrounding the cement blocks and I pushed. I pushed harder than I have ever done in my life, probably harder than even a SOLDIER could. Damn it to hell if it made a huge noise, that didn't fucking matter! All I had to do was focus all of my muscles to push at the exact same time and this way the blocks would have to give in. The Mako that was forced into my body, pulsed through my veins, supplying my muscles with its poison. One more desperate heave and the blocks caved in with a loud crash.

Having stressed my body beyond what it was supposed to handle, I collapsed along with the broken stone and mortar. However, I didn't have enough time to just lay there and take a fucking nap. I gasped in pain as my stomach clenched painfully. Exerting myself probably wasn't the best thing to do, but it was better than just waiting for those nutcases to do as they pleased with me and my babies!

I hear running footsteps approaching this direction, and I force my healing muscles to begin working all over again as I jump up and run. It doesn't matter which direction, as long as it is away from those footsteps. I can just knock down the next wall anyway.

Running like a mad man down the numerous hallways, I didn't really have time to curse my luck. I tripped over my own feet, but I just keep moving; this easily resulted in a few broken toes, but that wasn't the worst thing that could happen to me. A bullet whizzed past my jawline, singeing the skin and the shouting was coming closer. Panic at the prospect of being caught again bubbled up in my chest making me push myself even harder. I could feel the poor little ones bouncing against my internal organs as I rushed through the building like a rat in a maze, seeking the exit.

Each breath burned within my lungs, and my muscles screamed in agony. It would have been easier to have just stood and fought, but that was a bigger risk to my already doomed children. This was my final shot, my only chance to save them like I couldn't save Rufus.

Burning lead buried itself into my back and into my right lung and I stumbled for just a moment. There was a wall ahead of me and I could _feel_ rushing water on the other side. Water was always good and so I headed straight for that solid cement wall. My already suffering body heaved itself and crashed into the wall at full speed. In a feeble attempt to salvage the babies' lives as best as I could, I turned to the side, making my left side absorb the impact of the crash.

At first, I felt like a bug on a windshield and I was afraid that my momentum wasn't enough to break through the wall. Bones shattered, muscle tore, my fevered brain crashed against the inside of my thick skull. Splat would be the perfect word to describe how I felt. After a few uncertain and painful nanoseconds, the wall crumbled, pulling me into the current of the underwater stream that was on that side. Alarmed screams roared into my ears for only a moment before I was completely submerged under icy cold water.

Darkness and numbness surrounded me, making me fear for my life yet again. Did I escape the doctors only to drown in some underground river? Was I even ever going to make it to the surface? Only more darkness answered these questions for me. I could taste blood in my mouth and even as I held my breath, water was leaking into my lungs from the bullet wound. I tried to reach back to cover the hole, but I could no longer even feel my arms. I slowly drowned and the darkness seemed to form the gaping mouth of Odin's hell. It was my time for the Lifestream, and I had failed once more.

* * *

There was a vague sense of pressure against my chest, forcing still cold water to spill past my lifeless lips. Brutal winds nipped at my exposed flesh, seemingly trying to tear it into pieces. Wasn't I dead enough for the fucking PLANET? Couldn't at least the elements leave my body to decompose naturally for fuck's sake?!

The pressure once again was applied and I felt something warm drag across my face, melting the ice that was forming on my eyelashes. Cold biting air entered my dead lungs, constricting the airways to the point of forcing me to cough. My swollen eyes cracked open before once again shutting to block out the harsh bright light surrounding me. Warmth spread across my chest with that comfortable pressure and I forced my stiff arms into it. Fur, thick fur with body heat radiating out.

It was impossible to even guess how long I remained still, trying to revive my weary body. All I knew was the constant heat and that soft fur. Eventually, my eyes opened again revealing brilliant sunlight and a snowscape that was unlike any I had ever seen. Frozen trees glimmered in the warmth of the sun and snow decorated everything that surrounded me. Looking up, my eyes were caught in two golden eyes glimmering with something that I could not recognize. Those intense eyes belonged to a giant grey wolf that had found it fit to lie across my chest, saving my internal organs from complete failure.

"What are-are you…doing?" I questioned in a harsh whisper. Even my vocal chords were frozen.

The thick hot tongue slid across my face again, before the beast stood up and relieved that pressure. Its large nose sniffed me over before it straightened up and gave me a strange look that I could not even begin to describe. Shaking a few snowflakes off of its grey and black fur, it turned from me and began to walk away.

"W-wait!" I called out desperately, reaching out with a bloody hand. Blood filled my mouth as I forced words out of my damaged throat. "Don't…please don't leave…"

The wolf never turned around and soon I was left all alone in the frozen lands, practically naked and half-dead. Pain was starting to return to my abdomen and I could no longer feel any movement from within my body. It was unsettling since I had grown used to the constant motion, and I knew that I needed to get some medical help. Maybe I was near Icicle Inn? Looking around again as I struggled to stand up I realized that I probably wasn't anywhere near that snowy haven. If I was correct, I was probably closer to the City of the Ancients.

"Hehe, you fucking bastards," I cursed as I struggled to my bare feet. "You all mus' b-be have-having a b-ball up there, jus' watching me die slowly." This was just too cruel, I should be dead, not suffering even more. "Well fuck you!" I screeched to the graying sky.

I took a few minutes to flip off the heavens and scream every obscenity to every deity I knew, but after that I began to head south. At least I was hoping that I was moving south and that I was right about being near the City of the Ancients. I might be able to reach the fucking port in a few days, maybe even weeks if my injuries didn't kill me first. A whistling sound in my lungs reminded me that there was a hole in my lungs, but there was nothing I could do now. More importantly, I needed to find clothing or I would die of hypothermia and frost bite.

Looking around, I laughed harshly as there was nothing that would even be worth trying to make clothing out of. The vegetation was spindly and stiff and could never be made into coverings for my shivering legs or arms. Even the bark of the trees would be worthless assuming that I could even get it off without the aid some kind of cutting instrument. Yep, the gods were definitely using me for entertainment.

The pain of the unhealed bones and muscles in my left side made traveling even more difficult than normal. Cold snow had kept the swelling to a minimum, but it was still pretty bad. Limping along like an injured animal just made me even more pissed off and nervous. Even though there was nothing in this barren land, I couldn't help but feel the dread of showing weakness. Beasts always died if they weren't perfectly fit and I sure as hell wasn't anything close to being fit.

Trudging through the snow in bare feet is not something I would ever recommend, but there I was doing it. I would glance down every once in a while to make sure my toes hadn't fallen off, but I got sick seeing them turn more and more green. It was probably all the Mako rushing down to heal and salvage my feet, but how long could that last? A few hours? Not bothering to ponder it any longer, I just kept forcing one foot in front of the other. The wet gown ended up seeping away my heat, so I had to strip out of my only clothing and carry it in front of me, hoping that it would dry fast. Completely naked in this god-forsaken terrain as night was beginning to fall, and I couldn't help but laugh some more. I would definitely be dead in a few hours.

However, even with that knowledge I just kept trudging along. I sure was one stubborn son-of-a-bitch. Even though I was still wheezing because of the hole in my lung, the blood had frozen over the hole, leaving only caked frozen blood on my bare back. My bright red hair hung limply around my face as I continued to walk, and I brushed it back every once in a while with my icy fingers. The pain in my stomach increased with every step making my attempt at salvation a living hell. There was still no sign of life from within me and soon I found myself crying instead of laughing.

"Cloud!" I cried in desperation as I stumbled to the ground. "Please, Cloud, help me!"

The wind whistling through the thin trees was the only response that I received. I knew that if I just laid there I would freeze to death faster, so I began to crawl through the snow. Soon, my blood was marking my impossible journey as my hands and knees were scraped up by the sharp ground under the snow.

"P-please," I begged to the wind, willing it to carry my message to the only man that I loved and wanted to spend my life with. "I c-can't do this alone!"

I was too tired to even scream as the pain and agony in my abdomen finally became unbearable. Collapsing into the snow I panted heavily as I rolled on my back to see the stars coming out. It was easy to feel the temperature dropping as the sun no longer showed its happy little face. I lifted up one hand and saw that it wasn't healing like it should have been. I guess that I was out of Mako, or my body was too cold to actually use it. Sighing, I placed the frozen gown over my stomach.

After a few minutes, I began to chuckle again. I could just imagine some fucking native taking a refreshing walk with his kids and then suddenly coming upon my pretty naked body. In my mind they would scream and run away, sure to tell their tribe that they had seen a naked snow demon with fiery hair even down_ there_. Yep, that would totally be my luck.

Even as I was laughing over my imaginary plight, the gods found it interesting to give me an even harder time. A deep growl came from the trees to the right and immediately my senses jumped up. Yep, it was a fucking monster.

"Shit!" I hissed.

Obviously, my blood was attracting some unwanted guests. Before I could even try to come up with a self-defense plan, another growl came from the other side making me jump. My enhanced eyes picked up several monsters creeping towards me. A few were even snapping at each other as if to claim my gangly flesh first. My heart began to pound as I looked around futilely for some kind of weapon. However, it just wouldn't be entertaining enough if there was a large stick or maybe even a fucking piece of Materia lying around. Nope, I had nothing but a sharp rock I found under the snow.

Another gasp made me close my eyes for a moment as the pain was almost too much. Why was the pain bothering me now?! At that moment, I was gifted with the horrifying revelation as to why. Elena's words were echoing in my head about all kinds of symptoms. I was having rhythmic pain, to the point that I could keep time with it. For fuck's sake, I was having contractions.

"Oh no you don't," I growled as I clenched my teeth.

It didn't matter if I was growling at the beasts or the helpless babies within my body. What mattered was figuring a way out of this situation. My body was warning me that something was wrong and the babies needed to get out now. I didn't have time to beat these monsters, and I'm sure that I wouldn't even be able to in my condition.

I wasn't gifted with any more time to think about it as one of the Stilvas lunged at me. It was a flurry of pincers and teeth, but I managed to break one of its front leg things and flung it towards the other ravenous beasts. Howls of pain and bloodthirsty screams echoed in the area as the injured Stilva was eaten up by the other creatures. Another contraction kept me from finding a way to escape and I cried out in the agony.

In desperation, there was only one thing I could do. I smeared a handful of the snow on my bruised stomach before I used the rock in my hand and cut into its flesh. Fresh blood spilt on the pristine snow, immediately catching the attention of the still hungry monsters. Digging the sharp end of the rock deeper I couldn't help but scream as I sliced through the muscles and right through blood vessels.

"Oh shit, holy fuck, holy shit…"

I was probably in shock as more blood gushed from the sloppy cut and a squirt from one of the arteries splashed blood onto my face. Another beast lunged at me fully intending to eat my innards, but some invisible force seemed to stop it. As a matter of fact, all the beasts began circling around me, but it seemed that they couldn't come within a certain distance.

"_If you get those babies out, I can transform and save you. Right now the best I can do is to hold those things back."_

"S-save us?" I asked Damnation in surprise even as the pain made my next cut even uglier.

"_Yes."_

While his powers kept those beasties away, I continued to work on extracting my little ones. Moving my own intestines out of the way, I could see something that had to be the womb. If it wasn't I was dead meat. Forcing my shaking hand to steady, I made a shallow incision into the delicate tissue, praying that I wasn't going to cut a baby up. Instead I was graced with the nice view of one of my darling little one's rear end. Grabbing its leg, I tore the tissue with my other hand and pulled out the tiniest human being I have ever seen.

Blood and some other shit covered the thin and wrinkled kid and I couldn't help but think that it was the ugliest thing I had ever seen in my life. At the same time, a warm fondness bubbled up in my chest, but I pushed that feeling down to get the other guy out. With the first kid on my gown, I reached into my own body and pulled the guy out noticing that I had been correct in assuming that I could never give birth to a girl. Two ugly baby boys squirmed weakly on the gown making me cry in surprise and happiness. They were alive for now.

"O-ok, let's go, D-damnation."

"_Not so fast idiot, you got one left."_

"What the hell?!"

Reaching in, I felt another tiny leg and I nearly screamed in horror. There was another one of these in my stomach? Holy fuck! No wonder it was always so active in there! A wave of dizziness from a lack of blood almost knocked me out, but I pushed myself a little harder. Almost done.

The last child I pulled out seemed smaller than the other two, and she wasn't breathing. I didn't have time to bemoan the fact that the baby was indeed a girl, but instead panic arose in me and I tried to figure out what to do. If I attempted CPR, I might crush her tiny body, but if I didn't she would probably die.

"_Maybe she's already dead?" _he suggested. _"Let's just change and save the other two."_

Survival of the fittest was it? Those were the rules I had learned to grow up with in the slums. Eat or be eaten. However, on that icy cold plain, where I should have died ten times over, this little girl was given the opportunity for life. She was too small to do it herself, but that's what the fuck I was for! I'd be damned before I gave up on her! If someone hadn't given a damn about me, I might now have had the crazy life I've been proud to live, and there was no way in hell I wouldn't do the same for her.

Taking a few seconds to knot and cut the umbilical cords of all three babies, I suppressed Damnation's attempt at trying to take over so we could hurry up and began gentle CPR on the little girl. It didn't take much breath at all to fill her lungs and one of my thin fingers was enough to push that tiny breath out. Worry began to fill my mind as she didn't respond to my CPR and the other two guys began to feebly cry as their bodies suffered from the biting cold wind. I attempted to clean the shit off of them, but I couldn't take the time to do it right while I was trying to get the girl to breath.

"Breathe, kid, just fucking breath!" I begged, sure that the gods were truly enjoying my plight right now. "Come on, do it for mama."

A tiny cough into my mouth as I almost began the CPR again shocked me, making me back up to stare down at the little fighter. Her tiny body was struggling to breath on its own, but she sure as hell was trying. Miniscule fingers clenched at the air, trying to force it to submit and enter into her lungs and I began to sob in joy.

However, it wouldn't be right if I could just enjoy the fact that they were still alive and that I wasn't dead either. Nope, those motherfucking gods really had it in for me. Pain exploded in my abdomen making me fall back into the red steaming snow, screaming. It felt like acid burning me up from the inside, and I couldn't see what it was. As a matter of fact, I couldn't see anything at all. Pain was blinding me, and it even robbed me of all senses but touch.

"_Give your body to me!" Damnation screeched in fear. "You're going to die!"_

Die? Finally? No, there were three kids on my fucking gown that needed help and I had to give it to them. Though I hadn't really gotten the chance to examine them closely and appreciate their beauty, I would time enough for that later. Right now, I needed to live and that meant that I had to let Damnation take over. It was kind of funny that he couldn't seem to wrestle my control away while I was in my death throes.

"Take it!"

Pain was replaced with the horrid feeling of my body changing, shifting into another form. Broken bones and muscles were re-formed, shaped into a hulking form that I recognized from my dream. His guttural roar echoed across the dead lands, scattering all the beasts who had wanted to make me dinner. His bloodthirsty eyes glanced around at the landscape and laughed at the wind's feeble attempt to knock him down.

"Now it's time to do my duty," he growled as he shook his massive head.

"_Duty?" I asked nervously. "What duty? We need to get those kids to a hospital or they'll die!"_

"Chaos hasn't destroyed all life like he was supposed to, so I must do it."

Destroy all life? Aww, shit no! Couldn't he have picked a better time to tell me?

"_Listen you bastard! I just saved those little guys' lives and I'm not going to let you touch them!"_

"Fine, I'll just let the elements kill them."

Snorting as he ignored my screams, Damnation stretched out his massive wings and took to the air. Below I watched helplessly as the three babies cried on the wet and dirty cloth. I could see the animals circling back now that the presence of the beast was disappearing and I couldn't even look anymore. I didn't want to witness the children being torn up and eaten. It just made me sick.

* * *

Deathly stillness weighed heavily on the occupants of the room as they stood in place, shocked by the scene in front of them. Vincent's heavy uneven steps clanked loudly in the painful silence as he stumbled to the crumpled form of the Shinra President. Dried blood painted the wall behind him in a fresco of sadness and tears, large crimson drops frozen in place. Elena ran out of the basement but her wails of horror and grief echoed down the others.

The dazed red eyes of Vincent glanced over the stiff body before he looked around the rest of the room. In his mind he could easily see what had happened. He could see how Rufus luckily dodged one bullet before facing his opponent. Then, for some reason that he couldn't even begin to fathom, Rufus hadn't dodged again. He had stood there and was shot straight on. The specialty gun that was the blonde's constant companion rested on the musty floor, unscathed and still fully loaded. If he wasn't out of ammunition, why the hell didn't he fucking shoot!

Foreign hot tears stung at his eyes as the ex-Turk slid to his knees next to the body. Fear almost prevented him from touching the man, but he forced himself to do it anyway. A very small part of his mind was begging that it really wasn't Rufus, that it had to be another unfortunate person. For Odin's sake, he finally had a chance to move on, to truly treasure this man! He couldn't be dead now!

"Is he-?" Tseng questioned before emotion choked out the rest of the sentence.

The Wutaiese was struggling to keep his composure and Vincent could easily relate. He had to be sure that it was the man that he had cared for who now lay lifeless on the harsh stone floors of the dungeon. The golden gauntlet glimmered in the dim light as he reached out softly and brushed back the still, blond hair back to reveal blank blue eyes. All intensity which had been burned into the younger man was gone, lost in the endless Lifestream.

"It is."

Those words sounded so final, so empty. Disbelief filled him, almost as if this was all another nightmare that he would be shaken out of, something that he could push to the back of his mind and forever forget. Was that even his voice that had pronounced the doom of such a prideful man? How could he ever sound that distant and unemotional? Didn't he love this man?

"Vincent?" Cid called out softly from behind him. His voice was full of concern and worry but he was wise enough to stay out of striking distance. After all, Vincent was nothing more than a monster, so who knew how he would react in this situation. "Valentine, ya need ta speak to me, buddy."

"Vincent Valentine, he is correct," Shelke said softly, trying her best to be supportive.

Metal slid carefully down the still soft skin, brushing past those harsh lips which had scarred him and loved him unlike any other person had. Blood stained that snowy skin, marring his perfect complexion. Delicately, the leathered hand brushed the hair aside to reveal the bleeding entrance wound. Sticky scarlet blood gently oozed out of the bullet hole, still trailing down the pathway already etched by a river of dried blood.

"Vincent," Cid begged, shuffling uncomfortably. "He's dead."

"One shot to the chest, two to the head," the dark-haired man muttered in response.

Tseng jerked a little before staring intently at the older man's back. "That sounds like a professional hit, Valentine. He wasn't taken out by some grunt, no that's an assassin's work."

"Why would he drop his gun?" Vincent asked Tseng quietly.

"I don't know. He knew better than to let his guard down, and he was trained to protect his weapon almost as well as himself."

"There aren't any wounds that suggest a struggle," the red-eyed man mumbled, almost more to himself than to anyone else. "There aren't-"

A nearly imperceptible flutter of eyelids made the very breath catch in the ex-Turk's throat. No other movement even suggested what he saw was more than wishful thinking. Was it possible that his desire to see Rufus alive once more caused a delusion? Or was it…

"Rufus?" he whispered softly, too scared to hope.

Cradling Rufus with one arm, he used his teeth to yank off the leather glove from his free hand and he pressed the cold digits against the carotid artery. Nothing. Nothing, before a faint beat from a desperate heart.

"Dear Shiva," Vincent gasped. "Tseng, I need a Mastered Cure, now!"

Everyone gaped in shock, but Tseng recovered quickly. He rushed over and began casting the Materia with abandon.

"Rude!" he barked out, hoping that Vincent wasn't delusional. "You and Shelke help me get the President out of here. He's in critical condition! Cid, please start the plane so that we can get out of here."

* * *

"Reno?"

Cloud walked through the carnage carefully, gently checking the pulses of the shredded bodies he stepped over. Although it was slowing him down, he couldn't just leave someone in that condition if they weren't dead. He'd have to put them out of their misery.

"Reno, are you in here?"

The echoes of his voice in the docking warehouse the only noise he could hear. Unfortunately, he knew that he wasn't alone and that what was in there with him wasn't human. He remembered being told about Reno's demon problem and he was betting that Reno just lost control. If he could bring the red-head back under control, there wouldn't have to be a fight. Even so, his baby the Ultima Weapon was out and ready for some use. It wouldn't do any good not to be prepared for the worst.

His enhanced eyes picked up a glimmer of a shadow before it was gone again. So, the demon was circling around him waiting for an opportune moment to strike, was he? Well, he would just have to make that opportunity.

"Come on, baby!" he called out as his eyes darted around. "Are you hurt?"

Dropping to one knee, he slackened his grip on the Ultima Weapon and turned "all" of his attention to the body he was inspecting. If he was right, this demon was still a newborn. He might have all the damn power in the world and was probably strong enough to tear a regular SOLDIER into pieces easily, but that didn't mean he was smart. He probably didn't know a thing about strategy.

Just as Cloud had assumed, Damnation took the bait and dived right at him, fully intending to rip his head off in a not-so-clean way. However, Cloud wasn't the Hero of the PLANET for no reason. He had beaten the almighty Sephiroth twice and some newbie hot-shot demon wasn't going to surprise him. In a fluid movement, he side-stepped the attack and drew his sword across the beasts chest leaving a shallow gash. That was his first warning to this monster.

"Sorry, Reno," he muttered as he watched the beast spit and hiss in anger at being injured. It kept looking down at the blood in disbelief. "You can kick my ass later for this."

"You think you have a chance, mortal?" Damnation growled. "I will have the pleasure of eating your innards while they're still hot!"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, just attack."

Cloud's careless attitude seemed to confuse the demon and it took a step back.

"Why aren't you afraid?" he demanded. "I can't feel your heart beating as fast as all the others."

"Come and find out," Cloud taunted.

To be honest, he was a little afraid of hurting this demon too badly. What if the injuries transferred over to Reno? He wouldn't be able to chop off limbs to subdue the beast if that meant that Reno would be doomed with little stubs too.

The demon growled in frustration before lowering its head in a mock of a bull charging. Those golden horns did look sharp, but Cloud knew that he had this fight; he had a plan and knew how to execute it.

"Please don't hold this against me, Reno," he apologized before he began the attack.

Swinging his giant blade down into the cement floor, the impact shot a wave of energy towards the agitated beast. Damnation howled in surprise before jumping up to take flight and to get out of the danger. However, that's exactly where Cloud thought he would be and was already there. With one carefully placed swing, his blade easily sliced through the thin membrane and bones of the wings. A shrieking scream which was made even more painful by Cloud's enhancements echoed in the metal building as Damnation fell back to the ground.

Cloud landed behind the creature, a little disoriented because that shriek busted one of his eardrums. Blood trickled out of his left ear, but he just shook it off. That was nothing compared to other wounds he's had before.

"Just give it up, demon," Cloud sighed. "It's obvious that you can't win against me. I'm not some helpless villager that you can slaughter, like all these innocent people. If you force me to fight you longer, I probably won't hold back, and I'll kill you."

Those blue eyes shone fiercely, making the demon consider his next move carefully. If this mortal was serious, he could easily kill Damnation. If he was bluffing, then what would he do? The demon cursed himself as he could not read this creature. The man's heart rate was normal, his eyes told no lies, and he was definitely holding that gigantic sword in a threatening manner. How was he even able to hold such a thing? It had to weigh more than he did!

"_I'd listen to him,"_ Reno suggested wearily. _"He's a kickass fighter, and he's beaten more threatening baddies than you."_

"How can this be?" Damnation spat. "I am of Chaos, I am supposed to destroy all life!"

"Listen, Vincent already took care of Chaos, and I don't want to have to do the same to you," Cloud replied. "Honestly? I've had enough fighting for the day. Don't make me kick your ass."

"Hah, you wouldn't hurt this body," Damnation taunted, trying to keep an upper hand. "You wouldn't dare because any injury will also hurt your mate."

A pain spread in Reno's chest as he watched Cloud answer without missing a beat or without even flinching.

"What makes you think that would stop me?"

Reno couldn't help but feel more disappointed. Now he was berating himself for even hoping that Cloud would miss him. It was true that he didn't deny that they were mates, but he didn't affirm it either. Cloud was the one who had broken it off so Reno knew it had been wishful thinking. After all, the blonde's body language didn't even speak of concern. It almost seemed as if he were bothered by having to come here for Reno.

"Don't you love this mortal?" Damnation asked, now a little unsure of himself.

Cloud sighed and let his grip on that massive sword loosen some. The truth was that he was absolutely freaking out about this whole situation. Was Reno really somewhere inside that thing? How was he supposed to be sure that the red-head was ok? However, if he didn't trick this beast, it might take too long.

"Listen, you're just pissing me off, now." Cracking his neck, he gave the demon a harsh stare. "Let him out, or I'll just kill you both."

In an attempt at making his bluff seem serious, he yanked his sword off the ground and stepped back into an attack stance.

"Fine, fine," the demon replied.

It wouldn't do any good to fight this experienced mortal. He would just have to wait until his strength was revived and he could come up with a plan. It would definitely take a few days before his wing would be able to recover from the damage, and he could use the time to come up with a plan. It would also take a few days for his ego to heal.

As he was transforming back to Reno, a thought occurred to the demon. If that blond could trick him, why couldn't he trick the stupid mortal? Cloud came rushing over, worried to death about Reno. He dropped the Ultima Weapon and cradled the cold naked body of his ex-boyfriend to his chest.

"Baby, are you all right? Shiva, you're so freakin' cold!" Pulling off his leather gloves, he began to rub Reno's arms, trying to get the blood flowing. "Come on, babe, you can do it, you can pull out of this."

The hero gasped as he saw the deep cuts into Reno's stomach. Guilt crashed over him nearly making him gag. It was obvious that he was no longer pregnant, but where was the baby? Did those crazy doctors already take it?

"Reno, please, you-"

Sharp claws snapped out, slashing across the soft flesh of Cloud's face. The surprise and force of the hit forced the ex-trooper back a few feet and dark blood splashed against the dirty cement floor.

"Take that, mortal!" Damnation snarled, pleased that he had managed to hurt that pompous human.

* * *

Although I was feeling more than a little pissed off at Cloud, seeing Damnation hurt him like that sent a surge of fury through me. This damned demon took advantage of me, he even fucking left my babies for dead! All because Cloud didn't fucking come and save me! That bastard was going to pay, and Damnation wasn't going to take that away from me.

The next thing I knew, I was punching my ex-lover's already bleeding face. At that moment I hated him with all my passion. If he had come to me in my time of need, none of this would have happened. He had the power to save my precious babies, the power to save me! But he didn't, he didn't come to save me!

"Fuck you bastard!" I screeched in pain and anger. "I hate you, I fucking hate your guts!"

Strong hands wrapped around my wrists and pulled me close to the body I had yearned for. Shiva, why couldn't he help me? Why didn't he? I sobbed into his chest, and he just held me. The sound of his heartbeat was so familiar and calming that I couldn't keep up the energy to fight him. His warm blood dripped on the back of my neck and rolled down my back, but there was no blood-lust this time. Only weariness and sorrow. Rufus and the babies, they were all dead.

"Where is the baby?" he asked quietly as he warily rubbed my back. "Did they take it?"

"Dead."

"What?!"

Cloud seemed surprised and I could here his heart beat increase. He was upset about this?

"I had three," I sighed tiredly. "Killed by monsters on the plains."

Cloud continued to hold me and rub my back, but I could sense his restlessness. One of his hands moved to my stomach and applied pressure to hold back what little blood I still had. It was a useless gesture if anything. I had already lost so much blood and it was too hard to keep fighting.

"Hey, Reno," he whispered softly into my ear. "I'm getting you to a hospital first, and then I…"

I really wanted to hear all that he had to say, but the words slipped past my mind as I let my swollen eyes slide shut. Exhaustion unlike I've ever felt before weighed over my entire body, numbing the pain that was sure to make me cry even harder. Even my lips felt exhausted and that was saying something. I felt a slight pressure on them, but it didn't matter anymore. Sleep, that's all I wanted. To sleep and never wake up.

* * *

The cold bitter wind whipped at every inch of the blond's exposed flesh and his warm breath crystallized in the air before being flung behind. The roar of Fenrir sounded foreign in the open plains, but it was a comfort to the driver's ears. For probably the hundredth time that day, Cloud stopped the vehicle and hopped off of it. Rubbing his sore limbs and shaking the frost from his hair, he pulled his Ultima Weapon out and explored the area. No signs of blood or unusual monster activity once again, so he sighed and straddled back on his bike.

"Damn it," Cloud huffed as he blew warm air on his gloved hands. "Good thing I listened to Tifa and brought these ear warmers."

The dark head-band looking thing covered both ears and kept them far warmer than his nose was. It wouldn't be a surprise if he came back with frost bite. The hero also winced in pain from the stitches in his face that were rubbing up against the bandages. Damnation had cut his face deeply, and Reno's punches didn't make it any better. However, that pain didn't compare to seeing his emaciated and ruined ex-boyfriend so full of hate and telling it right to his face. He knew that Reno would hate him, but hearing it had made it final.

Also for the hundredth time that day, Cloud rested his head on the arm-bars and sighed heavily. Who was he kidding? Reno wouldn't care any more for him if he really did find the remains of the children, he might even hate the blond more. So why did he so desperately need to look for them?

"Such a fool, always a fool," he mumbled into his jacket's sleeve. "Stubborn, jackass, idiot-"

Sensing something, Cloud stopped his self-detestation and looked around. In a stark contrast of the pale snow, a single dark-furred wolf stared at the man. Wind blew its thick fur, but the beast didn't even flinch. Golden eyes narrowed as it studied the man carefully. Cloud tilted his head as he felt familiarity in looking at he creature. He knew who it was, but didn't know how.

"Fenrir," he mumbled as the beast looked towards the next clump of mangled trees in the distance.

The regal head lifted as a long mournful howl echoed through the frozen lands, the sound being whipped away and tossed by the cruel winds. Clenching his hands on the grips, Cloud knew what it was saying. Once again, it had helped him. Kick starting the giant machine, the man never looked back as he drove off, but if he had, there would have been nothing there but the wind swept snow.

It didn't take very long to reach the clump of malformed trees, but even as he drew nearer he could see the evidence of many creatures gathering. A few frozen carcasses of half-eaten monsters rested in the numerous prints that still hadn't been covered by new snow. Some of the prints were still fresh. Not wanting to take his bike into the grove, Cloud parked the thing and made the rest of the walk on foot.

Snow crunched under his heavy black boots almost in harmony with the wind whistling through the bare branches. Soon he saw that the snow was tinged with pink, certainly blood. He must be getting closer. Following the bloody trail, he saw that it had to have been Reno, crawling through the snow, bleeding. How much did that man suffer alone? Even more guilt weighed on his mind, but for now, he just had to find the remains no matter how gruesome they were.

The trees ahead parted to reveal a small opening within the grove and when Cloud stepped into it he was dumfounded. A small unhappy cry rose above the wind and there were three bloodied babies resting on a torn gown. Carnage surrounded the babies with blood and flesh strewn around, but not a single mark on any of the little ones.

"What the fuck?" he whispered as he drew nearer.

Numerous prints surrounded the area, far more than had been on the outside, but still, there they were! Doubt of his sanity made Cloud reach out and poke one of the babies who didn't take it very well. Another shriek of annoyance rang in his ears before the little one struggled to catch his breath. Drawing his hand back, the man still couldn't help but just stare at them. This was unreal, they should be dead. Even if they hadn't been eaten by the wildlife, it was below zero and they were completely naked. They should have frozen to death.

"How did you-"

The child who had remained calm while his brother cried and his sister struggled for her life slowly opened his eyes, shocking Cloud into silence. Blood red, those eyes were blood red. It stared right into his eyes as if it knew exactly who he was. A feeling of fear flitted in the man's chest as it never turned its eyes away. It was almost as if he knew that Cloud was coming and was just waiting.

"Holy Shiva," he muttered as it finally yawned, breaking the eye contact.

The entire scene was just too weird, but he fell to his knees and gathered all three of them up to his chest. They were so small and felt so fragile that he was scared his SOLDIER strength would hurt them. However, they needed to get out of this place so he rushed back to his Fenrir where he un-strapped his blanket. Being overly careful, he wrapped them all up in it and carried them as he dragged Fenrir along behind him. Surely, riding on a motorcycle across the rugged land would kill them, but then again who knew? Still, he didn't want to tempt fate any more.

When night drew its dark veil over the land, Cloud camped out in a small uninhabited cave. Material helped to provide a fire where he heated up snow until it was warm enough to wash off the filthy babies. They had all been silent during the entire trip which worried him somewhat.

Picking up the one who seemed different from the others, he cursed in his head as gently dipped some bandage in the water and began scrubbing the grime off of the child. How the hell was he supposed to know the proper way of bathing a baby? He barely knew how to bathe older children, and now this?

"Tch, aren't you lucky you got a failure like me around?" he asked the baby as he rubbed its tiny feet clean. "Feel free to complain, little guy, I know I suck."

The child just watched him carefully as if measuring his very words. To be honest, Cloud wouldn't have been surprised if the child had spoken back to him. It was just creepy like that. Thankfully, it said nothing and just watched as its body was cleaned with the warm water. The fire kept all of them warm while Cloud continued diligently with his task.

When he finally reached the head, the hero of the PLANET nearly dropped the baby as he felt how soft the head was. Why the hell was its head fucking soft?! Weren't there supposed to be bones there or something? The baby finally whined in annoyance as Cloud poked at the head again.

"Fuck," he groaned as he set the baby down. "Something must be wrong with your head, and _I'm_ the only one around? Damn, you guys don't have much luck, huh."

Sighing almost in annoyance, the child looked at Cloud calmly as if reassuring him that everything would be just fine. He just wanted to finish the damn bath. His tiny hand reached out, deliberate and confidently, spreading those tiny fingers. Feeling something warm tickling his chest, Cloud couldn't help but chuckle and reach out his finger for the baby to take a hold of.

"Ok, fine. I'll just finish cleaning you up and I'm sure that we can get your head fixed when I get you to the hospital."

A look of eternal patience crossed the child's face as Cloud went back to work. However, Cloud couldn't help but get a little uncomfortable as he washed the child's fine hair. At first he had thought that it was a pale red, but the red washed off in the water. It became more and more apparent that this child had silver hair.

Setting down the kid carefully, he stared at it in a new way. Yes, those blood red eyes weren't only unusual in color, but they were shaped more like cat eyes than a human's eyes. Silver hair, unusual eyes, and an unusual intelligence. The fear returned two-fold as he looked down at the baby.

"Sephiroth?" he mumbled before looking away.

It just couldn't be, it couldn't! The Lifestream would never send him back to the PLANET! Even Jenova couldn't make that happen! But…she did manage to send the Remnants out, didn't she? Was she now able to actually bring forth her son once more? If she really could, then…

The thought barely crossed his mind before he shuddered and pushed it back. Yes, he had killed countless monsters and even a few people, but that still didn't make killing a baby in any way all right. However, if it really was Sephiroth, did he have a choice?

Deciding not to think of it, Cloud turned his attention to the other two children and he bathed them as well. They all had soft heads which made Cloud wonder if maybe that was normal for kids. Well, he still had to be careful because even if it was normal, it could still hurt them if they fell on their heads, or something like that. However, he was pretty sure that something wasn't normal about how the little girl was acting. She remained pretty limp and he would have thought her dead except for her struggling breaths and the tiny erratic heart beats he could feel.

"Don't worry, I'll get you guys to professional doctors soon, you just got to hold on a little longer."

Making a kind of cocoon, Cloud wrapped those two up in his blankets and set them close enough to the fire to stay warm. Once that was done, new dread filled his chest as he looked at the last child. The baby was staring at him in curiosity, perhaps wondering why he wasn't wrapped up in the blanket as well. Gulping roughly, Cloud carefully picked up the baby and took him out into the snow. He also dragged his sword along as he walked farther and farther away from the cave.

Different thoughts were racing through his mind as he took the child away from his siblings, away from the warmth and safety. As if he was sensing some kind of danger, the baby began to wriggle in Cloud's arm, making unhappy and almost desperate noises. Seeing this made the hero feel even worse, but what choice did he have? The PLANET needed to be protected from Jenova even if it meant killing a child. If he waited for the baby to grow up, he might not be strong enough to fight. After all, who knew how a Mako-laden person like him was supposed to age? What if he degenerated within a few years? Who would protect the PLANET and all those he loved within it?

"Why me?" he whispered as he finally stopped. "Why do I have to fucking do this?"

Wasn't killing Sephiroth twice enough of a punishment? Didn't he already pay for his sins by saving this fucking PLANET from every little thing that threatened it? The baby began to wail as he set it on the cold snow and stood up.

"This isn't fair!" he screamed at the skies, louder than the baby's desperate cries. "Yes, I know I let Zack and Aerith die, but why do you keep punishing me?! Why a baby?!"

Grabbing his Ultima Weapon he aimed at the small child. He would just do this quickly and painlessly, and get it over with. Then, he would bury the child and never speak of it to anyone. No one had to know that he done such a horrendous thing. Lifting the heavy blade up higher, he poised it over the wailing child.

Tears stung at his eyes as the wind continued to whip around. Even if someone knew, they wouldn't blame him. He was saving millions and maybe even billions of lives and it only took the life of a defenseless premature baby. It should be easy, one life for so many others.

But…but…

Looking down, he couldn't pretend not to notice the tears running down the child's dear face. How could he guarantee that this baby would destroy the world? What if it would never? Then he would be murdering an innocent child, pure and simple murder. Could he take that chance?

"Cloud."

The soft voice chilled the struggling man to his very core. It was the voice of one whom he had loved, had worshiped, had hated. Swallowing hard, he turned to the side and lowered his sword slowly as he glanced at the man beside him. The harsh wind whipped around the long platinum hair and even the darkness couldn't dim the glowing Mako eyes of the almighty General.

"Sephiroth, why are you here?" he asked wearily. "Here to make me kill you again?"

"Don't kill him," Sephiroth entreated tiredly.

Everything about his body language spoke of fatigue and hopelessness. The Adonis of a body was still in top shape, but he hunched in the wind and his breaths came out slowly and almost forced. Besides the body language, his tone was not the usual confident commands. Instead, it was flat and exhausted.

"Why shouldn't I? He's just you, and you'll just try to destroy the PLANET once more. You know I can't let that happen."

"Yes, I know you care for the PLANET." Sephiroth winced and clenched his stomach where there was undoubtedly a scar from being impaled by Zack's sword. "I don't have much time before Mother will pull me back to the Lifestream. That child there is not me, and I will pay dearly for that."

"What do you mean?"

"You don't need to worry about that, just…don't kill an innocent child for my sins."

"Sephiroth, I can't take chances," Cloud replied. "He isn't normal, he's just like you!"

"I was just fine before, Cloud, but I failed. I had the chance to make the right decision and I didn't. Don't take his chance away because of that."

The blonde looked down at the snow and sighed. Sephiroth was right, everyone deserved a chance for better or for worse. It was not his place to take away that. After all, he had been given a chance even when he didn't deserve it.

"Sephiroth," Cloud whispered. "She took you away from me, how can you keep going back to her? If you know what you are doing is wrong, why? Why the hell do you keep doing it?!"

The pain and bitterness was more than clear and Sephiroth looked away.

"There are things that you may never know, Cloud, at least until you come to the Lifestream."

"That's just an excuse!"

"Cloud, go back to Reno."

The soft command startled the blond. The Great General still wasn't looking him in the eye, and Cloud felt the pain in his heart throb.

"Sephiroth…"

"He's better to you than anyone else has ever been, and you better treat him right. You owe him that much."

Had his first love been watching over him the entire time, even under Jenova's control? Had he cared so much that even death couldn't stop him from fussing over such a hopeless case? Cloud's pale freezing hand reached out to stroke Sephiroth's cheek softly, almost as if he was worried that he was hallucinating. A gloved hand covered his own, and the platinum-haired man leaned in. His thin lips brushed against the delicate flesh of Cloud's ear and his addicting voice whispered his final words.

"Please take care of my child, Cloud. Help him earn my Masamune."

There were so many questions, so many things that he wanted to say but never did, but it was too late. He, Sephiroth, was gone again. The hero's hand still tingled from the warmth of Sephiroth's gloved hand and his ear was burning with that familiar breath.

"What do you know?" he murmured to himself as he looked at the silent child shivering in the harsh wind. "Even my ex wants me to get back with Reno."

Sighing, he lifted up the child and carefully held it against his bare chest, protecting it from the elements with his shirt and jacket. It was possible that Jenova had staged the entire thing, that she had commanded Sephiroth to play on a very tender and sore spot of his heart. Hell, it was even possible that this child really was a reincarnation of Sephiroth and that the last several minutes was all a lie to bring the giver of death back to the PLANET.

However, Cloud couldn't bring himself to believe that at all. It was probably sentimental foolishness, but he found himself believing that it had to be true. Sephiroth had been too sincere, too sorrowful. He had been so fucking weary, and yet he was not defeated. Perhaps he had been fighting that bitch in the very Lifestream, struggling to pay for his sins. Well, like he had said, Cloud would never understand it until he went to the Lifestream himself.

"Well, little one, I apologize for letting you get cold like that."

The child looked up as if he was accepting the apology before he snuggled against the warm flesh some more.

"You know what?" Cloud whispered softly as he looked out into the endless whiteness. "Your name should be Revelation. I think…I think he would have liked that."


	16. Terminus Part 3

**Chapter 16: Terminus Part 3**

By early morning, the blond was on the move again. The three babies were carefully wrapped up and stuffed into his jacket with their heads occasionally peeking out from the collar. For the most part, they just snuggled to his chest and slept and he was glad for that. However, he knew that they needed medical attention and he hurried along on the frozen snow.

The white crystals crunched under his heavy boots before an extremely heavy machine was dragged over it making a small trench. Every warm puff of air was frozen before being blown off to the side. A wolf howled in the distance and a small smile crossed Cloud's freezing lips.

"So, what do you guys think? Your mama's an absolute babe, right? But he's also a fucking stubborn ass, and he's got balls of steel. He cared for you guys so much that he cut himself open just to pull you out into this world."

Having nothing better to do, Cloud found himself talking to the babies. Only Revelation even pretended to understand what he was saying, but it still made him feel better. Silence like this really grated on his nerves.

"I'm sure that he was ready to kill anything off with his own bare hands if they even thought about touching you. Hmmm, maybe his desire to protect you stayed with you guys even when Damnation stole him away? Or maybe it was you, Revelation?"

The other boy looked up, almost in annoyance, and Cloud couldn't help but chuckle.

"Ah, you don't like that he has a name and you don't? Well, let's see."

Looking up at the blue sky the man began to ponder appropriate names.

"I'm sure that Reno will name you guys something completely different, but that's ok. It'll still be nice to be able to call you by names while I'm carrying you around. All right, the little girl will be…Ana."

Nodding to himself, Cloud felt success. Even if it was a plain kind of name it seemed to suit the still little girl. The name made him think of a cute and delicate little girl and this child against his chest was both of those.

"Revelation and Ana. Now, for you little man."

The boy yawned again while Cloud struggled a little.

"Well, this is hard. I would almost want to call you Reno Jr., but I'm afraid that if I do that I'll jinx you to a life of booze, women, and bald friends. And yes, I can have a sense of humor when I feel like it. Anyway, back to finding a name for you."

A fond memory crossed his mind as he trudged along the lonely plains. Back before he had defeated Sephiroth, he had gotten into Chocobo racing at the Golden Saucer. It had been a lot of fun and a great way to fend off the stress of their situation. There had been one Chocobo that he had loved to race more than any of the others combined, though. Teioh. When he had first laid eyes on that raven beauty, a chill of respect had run through him. The owner of the majestic bird was intimidating as well, but he could remember seeing those golden eyes challenging him, fearlessly staring him down.

"Here's a good strong name. Teioh. Yeah, that'll work."

Feeling proud of himself for coming up with such good names, he picked up the pace. However, he made sure that he wasn't jarring the babies too much.

"So, I'm sorry I don't really know who your father is, guys. I hope it isn't that sick Dr. Franklin, but even if it is, so what? You guys are still all right, and you guys take more after Reno than anyone else."

Talking to these kids really made him feel better. He actually enjoyed it far better than talking to anyone else. It was so calming and since they didn't look down on him or judge him. There was no expectation other than his keeping them warm. Quite refreshing from the rest of the world. Maybe being a parent wouldn't be such a bad thing…

Shaking his head he laughed out loud. Who was he kidding? He couldn't be a father! That probably required far more commitment than being someone's mate. One could always leave a lover, but children meant that you had to stick around until they were grown. Then they would want you involved in their own family. It would be a lifelong commitment.

"Shit, and I was making a big deal about Reno getting serious with me."

Still, if it were these little guys…could he do it? They were so unbelievably cute. Besides, did he have a choice? Sephiroth had charged him with protecting Revelation. He had called the platinum haired kid his child. Did he real mean that? Either way, he needed to keep an eye on this little guy.

"He wants you to earn his Masamune, Revelation. That's a huge duty, I hope that you can fulfill that."

The child nearly smirked at him before it snuggled back to his chest. Creepy little guy.

* * *

Hushed voices were speaking around me and the annoying sound of beeping machines began to grate on my nerves. Slowly the rest of my senses began to catch up as my body decided that it was time to wake up. I could feel the warm plastic surrounding my mouth, forcing medicated air into my body. Uncomfortable sheets covered my body, obviously covered with bandages. Needles were stuck into my arms and wires were attached to my body to monitor the very life within me. How fucking annoying.

"Is he waking up?" Elena whispered to my right.

Everyone got silent as they watched my vitals obviously increase. It wasn't any use in lying about, so I forced open my swollen eyelids to reveal the bright and unfriendly world. A few gasps accompanied my groan of pain and I felt a pair of hands stroking my probably chopped off hair. I was seriously going to be pissed if anyone cut even more of my hair off.

"Partner, are you ok? How do you feel?"

"Like shit," I croaked unhappily. "Whe-where am I, yo?"

I could vaguely remember Damnation controlling my body and Cloud holding me, kissing me. Wait, no, I must have had that last part up. Cloud and I were completely over with so that couldn't happen. So, Damnation was controlling my body, he gave control back to me, and Cloud was holding me. The oxygen mask was gently pulled off and Rude gently rubbed the marks around my mouth.

The worried faces of my fellow Turks surrounded me, but Tseng ordered them all to back off and give me some breathing room. Elena looked like she had been crying for a long time and Rude looked like he hadn't had any sleep. Seeing their weary faces made me remember that I had bad news for them. News that would make them hate me and news that would make us lose our purpose in life.

"H-he's dead," I choked as the memory played in my mind once again. "Rufus, I-I let him fucking die!"

"Hey, hey, calm down buddy," Rude replied softly, letting me hold on to him tightly.

"I was right there, I was fucking there! I couldn't stop him, I couldn't protect him! Why aren't you yelling at me, why aren't you fucking saying anything!"

"Reno," Tseng interrupted gently as he took my hand. "We found Rufus, and he's in intensive care right now."

"What? I fucking saw them shoot him! He's dead!"

"He's a stubborn bastard, and we all know that," Tseng continued calmly. "Two shots to the head and one to the chest, like a professional would, but he lived."

I just couldn't believe what I was hearing. No one could survive that, not those kinds of wounds! Wait, maybe…

"Chaos?" I asked a little more calmly. "Did Chaos save his life?"

Elena looked confused and glanced over at Tseng for the answer. His face never changed and he shook his head.

"We don't know. All we know is that Chaos is no more. Vincent destroyed him."

What the fuck happened to the PLANET while I was sleeping? It all went to hell! Fuck, can't things be normal for just a few shitty days?

"Chaos is gone? How, but why?!"

"He came to destroy the PLANET, I think," Rude answered. "Vincent won't tell us much, but we do know that he's worried sick about Rufus. He's over by the room right now."

"What's the diagnosis for the Boss?" I asked almost not wanting to hear the answer. Going right back to sleep was sounding better and better.

"It…well, it's not good. Although he has survived this long, it isn't certain that he will continue to live."

As usual, there wasn't an ounce of feeling in that stoic voice and Tseng's unbreakable mask was firmly in place. Elena's eyes teared up again and she sat down heavily on one of the chairs.

"We look like shit," I mumbled a few moments later.

Here we were, the motherfucking Turks, crying and worrying like a bunch of women. Certainly there was reason, but it was still unsettling. We were supposed to be invincible, strong, and unbreakable. Yet here we are, tired and full of sorrow. Our leader, our beloved Boss was lying in some bed dying while we could do nothing.

"Partner, you should get some more rest," Rude offered as I winced in pain from unhealed injuries. "You've been through a lot yourself."

"Eh, I'm fine. Actually, we should all be over by Rufus's room. If he is gonna…die…well, he would want us there. I'll be fine."

The guilt was still eating at me even though I knew that he wasn't dead. I mean, the fact that his suffering was prolonged made me feel even worse. Now he had to suffer through living with those injuries. If only I had saved him, none of this would have happened.

Rude gently helped me out of the bed knowing full well that nothing that they could say would change my mind. A few nurses came in when all the machines started beeping loudly, but once Tseng explained things they just shut off the damn things and let us go our own way. At least they had enough sense not to try to keep us from being with our President. Once I was situated on my wheelchair, Rude tucked a warm blanket around my legs before pushing me along. I didn't like it, but I knew that I was in no condition to walk anywhere. I didn't even have to look at my broken body to know that.

A few hallways later and we could see Vincent sitting silently on one of the uncomfortable waiting chairs. His long hair was disheveled and his pale skin looked even whiter than I remembered. Those crimson eyes rolled over to glance at us before they went right back to staring at the body beyond the glass. The four of us Turks remained respectfully quiet as we joined him. I figure that in his fragile condition, any slight bug could do him in, so naturally everyone was banned from the room. I wanted to go in and hold my little brother, but I knew that it would be pointless. Tch, it might even kill him.

Even more machines were attached to President Shinra than had been attached to me. Blood stained bandages were wound around his head and chest and a transfusion bag was hanging beside him. I recognized one of the machines next to his head that was informing us that his brainwaves were slowly but steadily decreasing. I fought back the urge to cry as it was really sinking in that we were just here to watch the man we loved die slowly.

"Is he in pain?" I asked, roughly wiping my eyes before any tears fell.

"They don't think so," Vincent replied. "But in case he is, they loaded him up with morphine."

Gulping loudly, I nodded my head in thanks. There were so many things that I wanted to ask him about Chaos and about what that demon had to do with Rufus but now was not the time. Maybe it would never be the time, but that was something that I had to deal with later.

I was a little surprised when the foul-mouthed senior citizen known as Cid showed up carrying some steaming coffee for Vincent and himself. He nodded in acknowledgment to us, but just as quickly turned his attention back to the ex-Turk. Vincent took the hot liquid thankfully, but he didn't drink it. All of his attention was focused on Rufus. Cid just sat next to his buddy and smoked quietly.

The smell of the cigarette made a familiar desire stir up within me. It had been a little under six months since I quit smoking, but now that I wasn't pregnant anymore I could drink and smoke again like there was no tomorrow. I reached out towards Cid and silently asked for one of his cancer sticks. The old man obliged without a word and as I took a long drag, contentment settled over my mind. Good ol' nicotine always did the job.

My hand reached down and stroked my now flat stomach and sadness threatened to well up once again. I struggled to keep it all in, but all I wanted to do was have a good cry and let it all out. Once I'd done that, I decided that I wouldn't cry over the same things again. Might actually be best if I held my break down until after Rufus died.

I was so wrapped up in my own sorrows and worries I almost didn't notice the fact that a bunch of nurses were suddenly scurrying about. Rude rose an eyebrow and shrugged but it made me worry. Was someone else I cared about injured? At that moment, Yuffie came skidding down the hallway, completely out of breath and with eyes the size of saucers. Naturally, all of us thought that there was a brand new attack from someone or another.

"Guys, you'll never guess what!"

"Yuffie, is everything ok?" Vincent asked worriedly. "It isn't the Tsvietes, right? They're gone, right?!"

I had never heard the old guy sound so panicked, but I knew that he had a good reason for it. All of us had been going through a lot and now was not exactly the best time for some more shit to be coming up.

"No! I mean, YES!"

"What the fucking shit are ya saying girly?!" Cid roared with the white butt of the cigarette jiggling between his lips.

"CLOUD!" All of us stiffened expecting the worse. "Cloud just showed up _carrying _his _huge_ motorcycle and with three little babies stuffed in his jacket! He looks just like a _snowman_!"

"Snowman?! Wait, where the fuck are we?!" I screeched.

"It's the new hospital that was built on the outskirts of Bone Village," Elena answered, still looking confused. "More importantly, where the heck did he get _babies_ from?"

"I don't know!" Yuffie screamed happily. "He's too cold to say anything, but I can show you guys where he is!"

"Wait one fucking minute," I mumbled more to myself than the others.

If we were by bone village, then that meant that just north of here would be the plains that led to the City of the Ancients. That's exactly where I tore my babies from my broken body and abandoned them. What were the chances?! Now way, I mean, I saw all those fucking beasts going after them!

"Holy shit!" I screeched in a mixture of disbelief, panic, and fear. "Rude, move your fat ass and get me over there now!"

Even Yuffie looked shocked by my outburst, but that was the least of my worries. I had to see with my own eyes, I had to make sure that they really were mine. Without questioning me, Rude grabbed Yuffie's arm in one hand and pushed my wheel chair with the other.

"Lead the way, ninja girl."

"Sheesh, at least call me Yuffie," she grumbled before another burst of hyperness hit her and she began running down the halls.

Damn, that girl needed some Ritalin. Regardless, we all must have looked like a strange sort of stampede. A skinny ninja girl leading the way with a large bald Costan running along behind her as he pushed an anorexic red-head. Besides the fact that Rude running fast looked funny in itself, the entire scene must have looked ridiculous. A few seconds later I realized that it must look even worse because I could hear a few more people running behind us.

Thankfully, we finally made it to the right place. However, Cloud happened to be standing in the middle of our path and he was promptly run over by all of us. The doctor who had been talking to him managed to jump out of the way, but poor Cloud didn't have a chance. Too bad I didn't fucking care at the moment.

"Where the hell are those babies!" I demanded.

The doctor was obviously quite startled but he recovered quickly.

"Now just calm down. The babies are at the end of the hall in the intensive care because they're being checked up. Wait! Wait, no one is allowed in because of the sensitivity of the situation."

"But-"

I was about to protest, but Cloud groaned before stiffly standing up. Those golden spikes seemed cemented into position by ice and frost still covered every inch of him. What was exposed of his face from the bandages seemed red from being lashed by the cold wind and he moved as if he were nearly frozen into one position.

Before I could even try to stand, Rude put his hand on my shoulder and kept me down. I looked to him but he shook my head. Turning back I saw Cloud look at me almost shyly before looking back down. His chapped and torn lips moved painfully as he spoke.

"Reno, they're yours."

All of us remained exactly where we were and I gaped like a fish trying to breath on land. And no, stupid lung fish don't count.

"M-mine? No, no, they're dead, I told you they were fucking dead, yo!"

"I…uh, I found them. There's not a scratch on them, but they do need medical help because of exposure."

"Oh Shiva, gods, it…"

And yes, I, Reno Stryker, cried like a little girl. It was now relief, disbelief, and anger. It was nearly impossible to believe that my kids had survived, but I knew that Cloud wasn't pulling my chain. He could never do something that cruel. I was also pissed that my, I mean, the PLANET's hero went out into the cold plains just to find them and he ended up looking like this.

"What's wrong with you?" I snapped at him as I tried to wipe away the flood of tears.

He just smiled patiently and answered. "I didn't want to hurt the babies, so I had to walk over here carrying Fenrir. I'm actually not in as good shape as I thought I was."

"You stupid ass," I sobbed, holding my arms out.

Even if we couldn't be together, he could still hold me, still comfort me. Nodding, he came to me and gently wrapped his frozen arms around my delicate body. I didn't even care to notice how the others were reacting to this, I just closed my eyes and cried on his strong shoulder. It was hard to imagine living without this guy, even though I had every right to hate him. But honestly, something seemed very different about him. It was as if the long walk through the ice and snow finally made the wires in his head connect right.

Cloud was about to say something to me, but a doctor from the end of the hall approached us. I pressed my fingers to his lips to shut him up so that I could hear how my babies were.

"Doc, how are the kids?" I asked breathlessly. Tseng patted my shoulder to try to give me support for whatever the answer was.

The lady looked a little unnerved as she pulled off her gloves and gathered her thoughts, but I tried to push away any bad thoughts.

"Ok, first off, there are two boys and one girl."

Elena screeched in happiness and I wanted to roll my eyes. Damn it, yes I had a girl. Hopefully, she was as cute as a moogle.

"We don't really know who the oldest one is and they don't have any names, so I'll try to be descriptive. One of the boys has fine black hair and beautiful blue eyes. Now he is pretty much all right except for malnourishment. Remember, that this is also an initial diagnosis. Things might come up later, but for now, he's ok."

I nodded with a mixture of happiness and wariness. I didn't want my kids having issues for the rest of their lives, but at least it was better than them being dead.

"Now, the little girl has blond hair and blue eyes. Unfortunately, she's not as well as her brother."

"What do you mean?" I asked nervously.

"Physically, she's not much worse off. She's just smaller than the other two, so staying alive is more difficult for her, but we can take care of that. What I'm worried about is her mentally. She has practically no reflexes and well, we can't really be sure what's wrong with her until we run some more tests."

"So she's…"

I wanted to say retarded, but that didn't sound right at all. How many times had I used that term in a derogatory manner, dissing someone else for being an idiot? I couldn't use the same term for my daughter.

"W-why?" I asked sadly. "Was it something in my genes?"

"Actually, it looks like it's from Mako overdose and overexposure to other chemicals."

Hatred flared up in my veins. I knew that those doctors had screwed with my kids, and they were going to pay for that. They had made my perfectly normal baby girl mentally handicapped just for their own sick experiment! Wait…that meant…

"The other little boy…um, well…"

"What?!" I snapped at her more out of nervousness than anger.

"Ok, just hear me out. He has…platinum hair and red eyes."

I could feel everyone in the room stiffen and I was no exception. When I was pulling those kids out from my stomach I didn't have time to notice anything about them. However, we all knew that one of them was the experiment, the next Sephiroth that those nutcases wanted.

"Wait, red eyes?" Vincent asked.

I was surprised to notice that he was here. I thought that he would stick to Rufus's side the entire time, but I guess figuring out what the heck was going to happen next was important too. Looked like Cid was the only one who stayed to watch over the Boss.

"Yes," the doctor confirmed.

"But Sephiroth-"

Before Rude even finished his thought, Cloud sprang up and turned to face us all. We were all quite surprised by his reaction, but even more so by the look on his face.

"He is not Sephiroth," he stated without an ounce of uncertainty.

"But Cloud," Vincent questioned carefully, "even if the child isn't directly Sephiroth, he was made to be the next Sephiroth clone. He's the next weapon of Jenova."

"You're wrong," Cloud stated bluntly. "Just because he was born to be that doesn't mean that he doesn't have a choice. He has free will and it's our job to protect him from those who would want to take that away from him. Sephiroth lost his free will and that's why…that's why he tried to destroy the PLANET."

"What makes you so certain?" Tseng asked. "It would be far wiser to…to kill the child and be certain."

Hearing those words were painful, but it was obvious that it was what everyone was thinking. Even I had thought the exact same thing, but I knew that I couldn't do it. That kid was still my child and even if he was doomed to destroy the PLANET, I couldn't kill him.

"There are some things you'll never understand until you enter the Lifestream," Cloud said firmly and all of us looked confused. "However, I am going to protect Revelation until my dying breath. Do any of you really think you can get past me?"

More than being afraid of Cloud all of us were surprised by the firmness he portrayed. When the hell had Cloud gotten a backbone? He had always been so indecisive, but now? He was absolutely sure of what he was saying, of what he intended to do.

"So, you plan on staying with my kid?" I asked, more to see how he would react than anything else. I was graced with his blush and a few stammered words. "Excuse me? I couldn't hear that Mr. Strife."

All the composure that he had just a moment ago seemed to melt away as he looked around the hallway for a place to escape. I knew that I was asking him about commitment, the one thing that he hated above all else, but he had said it himself. Was he really going to follow through on it?

"Um, Reno, well…ok. Reno, I know that I'm a total jackass and I know that you have every right to hate me and to never want to see my face again."

"Yes you are, and yes I do."

"Still, even with all my faults and screw-ups and everything in between, will you take me back? I…want to come back to you, more than anything, and I've actually gotten attached to the kids. I don't know and I don't care who their father is, but I want to take care of them."

Cloud looked like an innocent child confessing that he had a crush on his cute classmate. Even his red skin deepened to a crimson shade. I just couldn't help but torture the poor guy a little more.

"Did you think I would jus' take you back with open arms, yo?"

"N-no, not really," he mumbled looking down miserably.

A smile crossed my lips and I spread my arms out.

"C'mere you big dummy," I commanded softly.

At that moment, no one else mattered; just him and me. The words I had longed to hear from him were ringing happily in my ears and those strong arms were once again wrapped around my body. His lips were caressing mine and I couldn't help but smile into the kiss. If he would stay with me there was nothing to worry about. No more worries about not being able to raise the kids or not being able to care and protect them. It would all be ok.

"Sorry to interrupt," Tseng grumbled, "but there are other issues to deal with."

Cloud pulled away and kissed my forehead before straightening up.

"As long as it's not about hurting Revelation, then let's talk."

"Revelation's a weird name!" Yuffie whined.

"Wait, what are you going to name the kids, Reno?" Elena jumped in before Tseng could get a word out.

"Uh, er…" I shrugged since I didn't really give that much thought. It hadn't exactly been on the top of my priority list.

"What do you mean, 'uh'?! Naming babies is super important!"

"But-"

"No buts! You need to name them now before we do anything else!"

"Wait a minute," the nurse interjected. "Didn't you already name them?" she asked Cloud who blushed.

"Well, uh, I just wanted to have something to call them by. I didn't _really_ name them. After all, Reno should be the one to do that."

"What did you name them?" I asked curiously. Since he was the father of the kids he had every right to name them too. Besides, at least he had thought up some names.

"I just thought that, uh, Ana would be the girl since she's so small and cute," he mumbled looking down at the floor in embarrassment. It was actually pretty precious. "And, well, Teioh was the best I could think of for the other boy."

That name sounded familiar…hmmmm, where had I heard that before? It took all of three seconds to place that name to the stupid chocobo that Cloud had loved to race against. That meant that he had named my son after a bird, an animal, a _beast_. An ugly one at that.

"You named him after a giant chicken?!" I screeched in anger. "What the fuck?! You saw my child and he reminded you of a stupid bird? Is he so ugly that you named him after a damn beast with fucking feathers sticking out everywhere?"

How dare that insolent fucker name my child after a stupid animal. He was really going to get it if I had anything to say about it. That bastard had better watch his back if he didn't want a buzzed head anytime soon.

"I-"

"Rude, wheel me over there, now! I'm going to see how ugly that kid is to get a name like that!"

"Hold on a minute," Vincent jumped in wearily. "It's not written in stone, Reno, so you guys can always argue over the details later."

"That's right," Tseng added, thankfully nodding to the older man. "More importantly, we need to discuss going after the Franklins."

"Wait!" I jumped in making Tseng glare at me in exasperation. "This is important. Those two doctors have been following all our moves by using two kids."

"Two kids?" Vincent asked sharply.

"Uh, yeah. They were two boys who looked about six or seven, but they were badass fighters. Both of them were pretty messed up in the head and I had to feel sorry for them, yo. Those doctors weren't treatin' them right at all."

I shook my head just remembering those two nearly dead kids. It was pretty obvious that they had been brainwashed and it made me wonder how long they had been with those two nutcases.

"Those two really knew how to fight, and I'm sure that they knew surveillance and all other kinds of shit. Otherwise, they would have never been able to keep up with us." I shook my head in disgust. "I also think that Damon was sexually harassing at least one of them. That sick bastard was making a show of-"

Before I could even finish my sentence the sickening sound of Vincent's gauntlet going through the wall made us all jump. His blood red eyes were burning with hatred and disgust and his very aura was almost painful just by being in its presence.

"They never know when to quit!" he roared making the hair on the back of my neck stick straight up.

The lights began to flicker and no one knew what to do. What had set the man off? I mean, I could understand the stress he was in since his lover was dying and he had been through some kind of shit with Chaos, but what the hell? He had been in perfect control until now.

"V-vin!" Yuffie squeaked in shock.

"I'll kill those bastards, I'll make them regret ever being born into this world!"

Fucking Shiva I could see the flesh under his skin trying to morph, trying to take the form of a demon and I could see his fangs flash in the flickering light. Of course, Cloud was the only one who was even remotely capable of controlling a pissed off Vincent so he stepped forward.

"Vincent, all of us feel like that! What's wrong? Come on, just settle down a little."

The ex-Turk was trying to keep his anger in check but now that it had bubbled over, it was hard to put back into control. It was like unleashing a furious dragon from a cage. At least the guy was putting up a good effort.

"Vinnie, seriously, is something wrong?" Yuffie asked worriedly. "You aren't acting normal!"

The dark haired man pulled his golden fist from the wall, managing to pull out a chunk of the wall out along with it. His other hand pulled back the long bangs and he sighed heavily. All of us were backed into the other wall still a little scared that he would transform at any moment and tear us all into bite-sized chunks. Ugh, that thought was enough to make me feel sick.

"It's nothing," he answered calmly, but none of us believed that for a second. "I apologize."

Cloud glanced at him in concern but wisely backed off. He didn't want his head removed from his shoulders in case Vincent wasn't completely back in control. The cuts on his face were enough damage for his body at the moment.

"So yeah," I mumbled a little afraid to get him angry again. "We should save those kids, but be aware that they will probably fight back."

"Thank you, Reno," Tseng replied before looking around at all of us. "I have some information that those two are at a base not far from the Crater, so that's where we'll head next. Just like with the Tsvietes, we need to get rid of them all now."

"I think that we need to get out there pretty fast," Cloud added. "Who knows if they're planning to pack up and leave soon, so let's head out tonight."

"But you can't!" Yuffie objected. "Cloud, you've walked across the entire plains while carrying your behemoth bike. There's no way that you have the strength to on the offensive so quickly."

"I'll be fine," Cloud retorted. "I can sleep on the way over there as long as we're not taking an airship."

"Since I'll be going as well, Cid will probably watch over Rufus for me," Vincent added. "So we won't be going on his airship."

Cloud looked extremely relieved and I shook my head at the thought of a macho guy like him having motion sickness. I'd never had that experience myself, but I had seen a bunch of wannabe Turks who suffered from that.

"Hey doc, how long before I can go?" I asked hoping that it would be by tonight.

"Not at least for a few weeks!" she exclaimed. "You're seriously injured, and we can't risk giving you Mako shots to speed up the recovery because you're still suffering from Mako overdose."

"That's ridiculous!" I complained. "I need to be out there with them!"

"No way, partner," Rude jumped in. "You need to sit on your bony ass and actually get healed. Even normal pregnant women don't move for a few days after birth and you are nowhere near a normal woman."

"He's right," the doctor supported. "Besides, you may not feel it now because of the painkillers, but your entire pelvis is cracked from supporting the weight of three babies that your body wasn't made to carry. You couldn't walk, even if you wanted to."

"I can't just sit around!" I protested. "I've been doing that for months, and I need to do something now. Those bastards can't be killed if I'm not there to watch!"

"I have an idea," Cloud said calmly. "Why don't we have Reno be our information guy? He can stay in our vehicle where he'll be safe and he'll be monitoring all of us and the enemies that way we can keep in contact with each other and can efficiently handle the situation."

My stomach did a little flip when he stood up for me and I stroked his hand in appreciation. I'm glad that he understood where I was coming from.

"Yeah, let's do that," Elena replied. "That way I can get in on the action too."

Tseng thought for a moment before nodding. "If I don't agree now, you'll find a more dangerous situation to be in, Reno, so let's work with this. Everyone who plans on going should prepare for battle and we can meet up in the garage in three hours."

Everyone nodded and headed in different directions to prepare. Cloud pushed Rude over and began wheeling me down the hall.

"Hey, let's see Rufus first," I requested.

"Sure, just tell me where to go."

"And then we can go look at the babies."

"We're closer to them you know."

"Yeah, but…well, I don't know when the Boss is going to die."

Nodding, he followed my directions until we made it to where Cid was patiently smoking through his pack of cheap cigarettes. I looked at the form of my little brother once again and the feeling of guilt ran through me again. I really didn't want him to die, but what could I do now? Nothing more than I could do back then, and that made it even worse.

"Why are you here?" I asked Cid quietly. "I know that you don't like Rufus at all."

"Tch, 's none of your damn business, but I'll tell ya anyways. It's 'cause Vincent asked me to, and I ain't going ta say no. 'Sides, he wants his motherfucking revenge and he can't fucking do that if he's here watchin' this guy die."

"You're a good friend," I replied as I watched the brain waves go down a little more.

Would I be able to watch someone I hated die slowly for the sake of my friend? I mean, I could sit and enjoy watching Damon dying in the worst way imaginable, but could I watch over him for the sake of my friend? I don't think I could. There was no sign of enjoyment or hate from Cid as he sat there quietly, keeping watch over my brother.

A few minutes later, Cloud pushed me away from the room and back down to see our little ones. On our way over there I wondered if I should tell him that those children were his and mine, not the result of some freakish experiment. I didn't want him to run away again and I was scared that if he knew the truth he would forget all those nice things he said. Would he really abandon me again?

"Cloud?" I began nervously. I didn't want to start our relationship all over again on lies. "You should know something."

"Yes?" he asked softly.

"Well, um, you really like my kids, don't cha?"

"Of course I do, Reno. They…well, they're very cute." He nodded to himself as if agreeing with his comment.

"And you're ready to be their father?"

He took a deep breath, but nodded firmly. "I care about you too much not to help you out with the kids. Besides, I already like them, so caring for them won't be hard."

Clenching my fists, I let it all out.

"ThosebabiesareyoursandIknowthatyoudon'twantkidsbutIhopethatyou'llstillstaywithmeandlovethemjustlikeanyfathershould."

"Eh?"

I sighed in exasperation. "Fuck, you're going to make me say it again, aren't ya?"

"Yeah."

"Ana and Teioh are your kids. I was pregnant with them before Argos and the Franklins touched me."

Cloud froze in his tracks and I could feel him staring at the back of my neck. I squirmed around uncomfortably, but a sharp pain made me stop doing that pretty quickly.

"If I didn't come back, were you going to tell me?"

"No," I replied honestly. "I didn't want you feeling anymore guilt, yo."

He came around in front of me and pulled me into another hug. Damn, we hugged more times today than we had in our entire relationship before. I was just glad that he wasn't running down the hall by now.

"By Shiva, he was right," Cloud sobbed into my shoulder. "You're far better than I deserve, and I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Reno."

I didn't know who "he" was, but I was just glad that Cloud was apologizing. It seemed like he had grown up quite a bit since we broke up. The thought that he was ready to take some fucking responsibility made me feel a hell of a lot more relieved. This was the way that I wanted things to be.

"But I'm still mad about you naming our son after a damn oversized chicken," I teased as I stroked his wet hair.

"S-sorry," he sniffled as he carefully wiped his eyes. "I kept talking to them and I didn't want to keep calling them by something impersonal. Teioh always reminded me of strength and pride and I couldn't think of a better name for a son of yours."

"Well," I sniffed haughtily. "I _suppose_ that you could have done worse. So let's keep the name."

His face lit up happily and he pressed a playful kiss to my lips.

"Thanks, babe."

"Use some fucking lip balm," I whined playfully as he pushed me eagerly down the halls. By god it felt good to have him back with me.

* * *

Two hours later we had signed all the documents, had finished all the shit that was mandatory for babies, and had doted on the little ones. I had to agree that my kids sure looked good. The cutest things I had ever seen.

Revelation took a little while to get used to, but Cloud absolutely adored him. Maybe it was because the kid reminded him of Sephiroth, but that didn't matter. I would love the kid just as much, I knew I would. It was sad to see my little Ana having to get tested, but it just made my desire to see those doctors suffer that much greater. She was every bit as beautiful as her father and I could tell that she was going to take after him much more than after me. I also couldn't help but tease Cloud about his hair color since Teioh had black hair. He kept insisting that it was natural but I just kept poking fun at him. He just retorted that none of my kids had my red hair, but I had a snappy reply for that.

"Well, our next baby might have my hair."

Cloud looked up in shock and I nearly died laughing at his expression. A chocobo in the headlights is what it reminded me of.

"Tell me you're kidding," he demanded. "I haven't even slept with you again, you can't be pregnant!"

"Aww, quit worrying," I replied. "Besides, we can fix that up real quick."

I wriggled my eyebrows suggestively and he smiled wickedly. After all, we were still both just horny guys and no amount of horrors would take that away from us. It wasn't hard to find a private room where we were able to have a few moments to ourselves. Since I was still in bad shape, Cloud handled pretty much everything. I leaned back on the bed, moaning as his mouth worked over my desperate member. Cold water from his blond hair dripped steadily over my stomach before rolling down my sides. Through the haze of pleasure I was relieved to see that he was taking care of his own lusts and was jerking off so that I didn't have to do a thing. I didn't notice who came first and it didn't really matter. All that mattered was the way he held me as we both waited for the rush to fade into the familiar warm fuzzy feelings.

"You came pretty fast," he teased as he stroked my short choppy hair, something I fully intended on killing some doctors for.

"So did you, dick."

He chuckled and kissed the corner of my mouth before he sat up and fixed up his clothes.

"Get some rest, Reno. I'll get our stuff together and come pick you up in a little bit."

"Sure thing, kitten. Just help me get dressed 'for ya leave."

Once I was fully clothed, I fell back softly on the bed as he left. It wasn't surprising that I fell into a light nap almost immediately. After all, I had gone through a hell of a lot, both emotionally and physically, and my body needed some time to recharge.

_In my dreams I could see Sephiroth speaking to me, but I couldn't understand anything. His lips were moving but no sound was coming out. I saw the city of Midgar burning brightly behind him, but everything seemed so hazy. Reaching out his gloved hand, I could see a glittering piece of Materia. He wanted me to have it, but why? He shoved it towards me, but my body felt numb; I couldn't reach out and take it. In annoyance, the General pressed his palm to my forehead. Immediately, I could see a cave that was somewhere in the bottom of the ocean. Inside the cave, the sight of a woman entrapped in huge crystals nearly made me jump back. Her eyes opened and her hand slid right out of the crystals as if it were nothing but water. The same thing that Sephiroth was trying to shove into my hand was glowing on her palm. Obviously, this thing was important, but how was I supposed to get over there?_

"_Sephiroth, how do I get it?"_

_Once again, his lips moved but I still couldn't understand a thing. In the blur behind the General a new being was beginning to form. I tried to warn him, but it seemed that he was deaf to me as well. Piercing green eyes snapped open and Jenova screamed loud enough to shatter steel._

"Reno? Time to wake up."

I jumped as I felt someone shaking my shoulder. Looking around a little disoriented I saw that we were already in the command vehicle. Elena cocked her head and patted my leg.

"Are you ok? You don't look so good."

Only Elena and me were back there and I noticed on the screens that we were approaching the target.

"Eh, I'll be ok, Laney."

"That's good," she replied as she finished putting her sniper rifle together.

"Hey, I wanted ta say thanks, yo."

"For what?" she asked as she sat next to me.

"If…if you hadn't read that huge encyclopedia of pregnant shit…well, it saved my kids. Thanks."

She smiled and pulled me into a hug before kissed my cheek.

"No problem, Reno. All of us love you like a brother, and I had only wanted the best for you. I'm glad that it was able to help you, but I just want to say thanks for listening."

"Heh, I didn't have much of a choice," I teased.

"Psh, don't give me that. Anyway, you know that I have to be the godmother, right?"

She poked me in the temple before continuing to rant on how cute the little guys were and all the different kind of stuff she was going to buy for them. I just smiled and nodded as I slowly and painfully made my way to the control panels. Once seated, the pain was more manageable, so I tweaked the settings until I was happy with everything.

"Ok, Laney, it's almost show time."

Nodding, she put on her bullet-proof vest and loaded up herself with weapons. I slid on my headpiece and began checking that everyone had theirs on. It only took a few minutes to get everything done and I began to feel my heart beating against my ribcage. This was it, time to get revenge.

"Party 1, are you ready to go?" I called out.

"Aye," Tseng, Yuffie, and Cait Sith, and replied.

"Party 2?"

"Here," Rude, Vincent, Tifa, and Red XIII answered.

"Party 3?"

"Ready," Elena, Barret, Cloud confirmed.

"Party 1 will keep to the outside and monitor for any escapees, while 2 and 3 move in. Party 2, go in through the southern entrance. Looks like there are two security systems set up, but just barge through. Party 3, take the eastern entrance. Only one security system is set up over there, so go in with guns blazing."

They all voiced their understanding and the assault began. I monitored all of the screens easily as I yelled out information to all of the parties. Harder than the monitoring, was listening to all of the conversations for useful information to pass on.

"Damn it! Fucking poison!" Barret yelled loudly into the mouthpiece.

"Looks like it's a mixture of monsters and experimented humans," Vincent relayed.

"Guys, look for both monsters and experimented humans," I warned them in response.

"Whoooo hooo! Take that, hiiiiyaaaa!"

"Yuffie stop fucking yelling in the mouthpiece!" I screeched as I winced in pain. My eardrums were going to be destroyed by the end of this mission.

"Reno, I've found two exits, one in quadrant 3A and one in quadrant 4B."

"Yo, stuffed animal, get your rear over and support Tseng at quadrant 3A. Yuffie, cover for the damn robot."

"Sure thing, Reno."

"Cloud, use a fucking potion will ya?"

"Thanks, Reno."

"Tch, these monsters aren't dropping anything," Red XIII observed.

"Is anyone needed to get some more supplies?" I asked worriedly.

"Not yet" was the resounding answer, but that didn't make me feel any better.

On top of relaying the information, I was busy trying to hack into the surveillance cameras so that I would be able to warn them about the attacks ahead of time. A virus was sent to the computer in response, but the Shinra's top quality programs were able to crush it without much difficulty.

"Yuffie, looks like some of those experimented humans are coming out of quadrant 8A, so get them."

"Yeah, yeah, headed there now."

The sound of Ifrit burning opponents roars through the headpiece, but I ignore it and kept working.

"Tseng, I got through! I'm into the cameras."

"Good, do you see the doctors?"

"Not yet, but there's a fucking Malboro trying to sneak out through the exit at D3."

"Ah, thanks."

"Barret, use an Elixir."

"Got it, punkass."

I scrolled through the camera shots hoping to see the doctors, but the two assassins caught my eye first.

"Shit, Cloud, you're right in the-"

The shot rang out, and I jumped up, but I saw Cloud dodge the shot by a small margin. He immediately turned on the kid and attacked.

"Reno? Did you find something?" Vincent asked.

"Yeah, one of the kids took a shot at Cloud, but he's taking care of that."

"Don't hurt him!" Vincent yelled at Cloud.

"I'm…trying…damn."

"Vinnie, just focus on your battle," I warned. "And watch out, the other little guy is coming right for you guys."

"No one touch him," the ex-Turk hissed dangerously and everyone conceded.

"How is Party 1 doing?"

"We're good," Tseng replied. "I haven't seen any sign of the doctors, so keep going through the cameras until you find them. They're definitely in there."

"Got it."

My eyes scanned everything carefully even as my mouth and ears were otherwise engaged. Damn, I can never say that being the tech guy is boring again. All I needed was my helicopter and I'd be good.

"Sweet, Laney, I love this program!"

The computer program was automatically making a map of the hidden base as I scrolled through the cameras and was showing me all of the blind spots.

"No problem, Reno!" she shouted as she fired down a few more monsters.

"Fuck, he won't stop!" Cloud yelled as he continued his merciless assault on the kid.

"Pull out your Omnislash, kitten," I advised as I sent my own virus towards the base's security system so that the different groups wouldn't have to worry about dismantling them.

"Party 1, blow up the exits at D2, A3, and B4."

"Got it."

I turned my attention to Cloud's fight with the kid and was surprised to see the kid still standing. Normal adults couldn't handle the power of the Omnislash, much less a child. Man, he must have been pumped up with a bunch of Mako and other chemicals. Just as I was about to suggest something else to Cloud, something on the screen caught my attention. The Franklins.

"Whoah, whoah, buddy!"

"What is it, Reno?" Elena asked.

"Got them! The Franklins!"

"Where are they?" Vincent grunted as he continued to fight the kid. Dang, that little guy was pulling out some pretty acrobatic moves. It almost looked like his spine was non-existent.

"They're under some heavy security on the east side of the building. It also looks like they might be trying to plan an escape passage…"

I couldn't see their screen, but I recognized the room they were in. It was joined to the hallway that I had been running down a few days ago.

"Ok guys, there's an underground river running along the eastern wall and I broke it down in my escape. My guess is that they had shut down that area to keep the entire base from flooding, but they might try to open it to flood everyone out. I wouldn't be surprised if they had some scuba gear."

"Got it," Cloud and Vincent replied.

I knew that Tseng wanted a piece of those doctors for what they had done to Rufus, but he had enough control to hold back and defend the exits. He would always be a better man than I was. Looking over at the screen where Cloud is fighting, I saw my lover unleash a punishing flurry similar to the Omnislash, but with the additional summoning of Shiva. Her icy attack was sure to numb the kid and Cloud took that opportunity to hit the kid across the head with the broad side of his Ultima Weapon.

"Oh, ouch," I exclaimed as I watched the boy crumple to the floor. "You didn't break his neck, did you kitten?"

"What the fuck did you say?!" Vincent growled threateningly.

"No, he's alive. Vincent, get your head in the right place! I know that they're kids, but they're still the enemy. Take them out."

"Don't tell me-"

"Shut up!" I commanded them. "Party 3, take the hallway to your left and go down to the end and hang right. Tifa, you and Red XIII should tear down the wall on the right. That's a supply room and you guys can stock up before moving on. Rude, you help Vincent and take the kid from the back."

"I don't need-"

"I'm not asking for your damn permission," I hissed.

The older man shut his trap and performed a series of moves that would have made the Wutaiese gymnastic team jealous. Rude moved with him flawlessly, not giving that poor guy a chance. A few minutes later the kid was knocked unconscious. Vincent held the child tenderly in his arms and checked for vitals.

"Hey, Red XIII, go fetch the kid that Cloud took out and bring him over to this guy. Watch over the two of them if you don't mind."

"Not at all. Tell me the way."

I nodded and relayed the information. Vincent reluctantly let the child go and he headed off to go find the doctors. For a moment I wondered why he seemed so protective, but I didn't have long to contemplate that. I needed to guide the two Parties through the maze of the base as well as keep an eye on Party 1 and Red XIII. The doctors were getting more and more frustrated and that only made me happy. Seeing them suffer like that thrilled me to no end.

"This is what you get for hurting my Boss you sick bastards. Fucking suffer."

"Did you say something, babe?" Cloud asked as he tore down another wall with his giant sword.

"You're a beast, kitten, and you're looking great from this angle."

"Tch, pay attention to the mission," he teased. "But don't worry, I'll take care of you when we get home."

"Is that a promise?" I asked.

"Absolutely."

"Do you mind?" Tseng interjected making me snicker.

"Sorry, Tseng."

"Thank you."

"Hold up," Tifa called out. "I hear something rumbling. Can you tell me what's up ahead, Reno?"

At least she wasn't being hateful and cursing me out at the moment for getting back with Cloud. Maybe she didn't know?

"All right, let me look it up." I flipped through the camera shots and looked for any source of a rumbling sound. My eyeballs nearly popped out of my head when I saw a few monsters beating on the door that was keeping the water back. "Shit! There are a few idiot monsters trying to take out the only thing between you guys an' the icy river!"

"How far back?" Someone asked as I referred to the map.

"Ok, the doctors are in two halls down and those stupid creatures are right down the hall. Wait, it looks like the Franklin's are trying to stop them!"

I watched in horror as the monsters turned on the Franklins and began attacking them. Those creatures could feel the impending doom and they were in a frenzy.

"Reno, what's wrong?!"

"NO!! Crap, no, no, no! Those monsters just turned on the doctors! They're trying to kill them!"

"What?!"

"You guys are close, Vincent, bust through that wall, yo!"

Before my very eyes, the ex-Turk morphed into his Galian Beast form and tore down that wall. It had no chance against him and neither did those monsters that threatened to take our revenge away. Flesh, blood, gore, and splintered bones painted the wall as Vincent utterly destroyed those pitiful beasts. I laughed in sheer glee as I saw the two Franklins hold on to each other in fear of the towering beast.

Mercy didn't even come to mind as I watched them tremble in fear. How did they like being overpowered and having to fear for their own lives?! They had been so cocky and arrogant and now? How did it feel to be left with no where to go and no one to protect you?! I was a little disappointed in how quickly we managed to get them. It was almost anti-climatic considering the hell those two had put us all through, but at least we had them.

"You two are going to suffer," Vincent hissed through the sharp teeth.

"Tifa, why don't you and Rude just search the rest of the building?" Cloud suggested. "There might be other people in here that we can save. Elena, you and Barret should help them out."

"O-okay," Tifa responded as she turned back and moved out of the vicinity.

Everyone knew exactly what was going to happen in there and they couldn't bring themselves to stop it. They knew that their protests would fall on deaf ears and there was no way that the four of them could stand up to both Cloud and Vincent. Even if they disagreed with what was about to happen, they didn't have a choice in the matter. The best they could hope for was to be out of the vicinity.

"I'll stay here," Rude piped in as he stood tall and cracked his neck.

"I don't-" Cloud began, but I cut him off.

"Those bastards hurt the Boss, Cloud. A Turk will be there."

"Fine."

Silently, I thanked Rude for being willing to watch the massacre. He had seen his share of extreme torture on both the end of the giver and the receiver so I didn't doubt his ability to watch the horror calmly. It was all that we could hope to do for Rufus right now, so he stood there like a grim statue, ready to make sure that the punishment would be carried out.

I heard Tifa whispering her disagreement to Barret, but I ignored her. She hadn't lost anything to those two so her thoughts didn't matter. However, I was courteous enough to turn off the sound of Cloud, Vincent, and Rude's headpieces to everyone but myself and Tseng.

The faint voices of the doctors begging for their lives should have made me feel at least a little bit guilty about what we were doing, but I had seared my conscious with a hot iron until something like this actually made me happy.

"Too bad I can't be there, kitten," I whispered eagerly.

"Just stay put," he warned me just in case I had any bright ideas about going over there.

"Please, we were only doing what was best for the PLANET!" Sheryl sobbed as she clung to her husband's sleeve.

"You expect us to believe that bull-shit?" Cloud questioned.

"What about all the lives you ruined?!" Vincent snarled. "Hurting innocent children is never in the best interest of the PLANET!"

"But they were abominations!" Damon tried to reason before sharp claws slashed across his face.

Sheryl screamed and Damon held the bloody wounds and shuddered in pain.

"Lies!" Vincent screeched. "How dare you call them abominations?!"

"But they were!" Sheryl screamed back, her fear giving her the strength to argue in such a situation. "Anything spawned from you is a hazard because of Chaos!"

"What?!"

Rude, Cloud, and I gaped in surprise at the heaving beast. Vincent roared in fury, causing the entire base shake dangerously, but before he could charge at the doctors Cloud grabbed his arm.

"What are they talking about, Vincent?" he asked.

"It doesn't matter," he hissed as he pulled his arm away. "They're just trying to buy a few moments to scheme something else, no doubt."

"You know it's true," Sheryl challenged. "Why don't you tell your little friends all about poor Rufus Shinra and what you did to him."

Hearing the President's name, Rude automatically jumped in.

"Now you better tell us what the heck is going on," Rude demanded angrily as he placed his gun to Sheryl's head to keep her from doing something regrettable.

"Yeah, speak, Valentine!" I hissed in anger. "What the fuck is she talking about?"

He was obviously very angry at having been stopped from destroying those two, but with Cloud right there, he didn't have a choice but to answer. Snarling, he slashed at the wall, leaving deep gashes.

"Yes, I fucking screwed up! Rufus became pregnant with my children as a result of the extreme amount of Lifestream he had been exposed to, the beginnings of Geostigma, the Mako they were pumping into him, and chemicals running through my seed as a result of Chaos."

"That's right," she spat out hatefully. "You created little monsters inside of a dying man! I don't even know how he managed to survive the birth."

"No thanks to you!" he roared. "You delivered the babies and left him to die! You fucking kidnapped them for your own sick curiosity!"

I leaned back in my chair, my mind whirling with all this new information. That scar on his stomach, it had to have been the c-section. How had he…damn. For nearly a year no one was allowed to go in and see the President because of his fragile condition. Even when we did see him, he was always covered with heavy blankets and bandages and we didn't exactly think to look and see if he was pregnant. How did he manage to go through an entire pregnancy while in his fucking condition? I thought I had it bad, but that was just insane!

"Valentine, it's no different from screwing the pathetic invalid for your own sick lusts," Damon shot back, his voice shaking from a mixture of pain and anger. "We are no more disgusting than the lot of you."

It took Cloud a little more effort to keep Vincent from shredding the mouthy doctors. Shaking my head, I tried to sort it all out in my head. If the doctors kidnapped those babies, then Vincent and Rufus knew about them way before I got pregnant. Hell, even before the damn Remnants showed up! Why didn't they say anything, why didn't Rufus ask for our help? We were his fucking Turks for Shiva's sake! We should have been allowed to help him! And how the heck did those kids manage to look at least seven years old! Weren't they like, four or something?

"The phone call," Tseng reminded me and I felt like slapping my forehead.

He was absolutely right! That one time he got a call from Vincent and was all choked up, it had to have been news about these kids! And Vincent being all pissed when I told him what those two had done to the little guys, it was all falling into place! Even Vincent forcing Chaos into Rufus, it had to have been after the birth as he was slipping into death. The older man would have never resorted to something so foolish if it wasn't absolutely urgent.

"Don't try to twist our minds," Cloud replied darkly. My baby really hated it when people tried to mess with his head. "We could never sink to your level of filth. Of course we all make mistakes, but we don't destroy life and create horrors just because we can. You both can just burn in hell."

Cloud let his hand drop to the side to allow Vincent to tear them both apart, but a giant tremor knocked everyone to their feet.

"What the hell?!" Rude shouted and I began scanning the different charts on my screen looking for an answer.

"I don't know guys! It looks…aww, shit! Everyone get the hell out of there, now!"

The underwater stream had been beating at the walls that prevented it from flooding the base, and all the abuse that those walls had taken from Vincent as well as the other monsters had jeopardized its stability. A naturally occurring tremor coming from the Crater itself was the final touch to break down the only defense they had.

The deafening roar of the water breaking through the wall and pouring thousands of gallons of icy cold water on top of the inhabitants of the room made me wince and cry out in pain. Memories of the cold water crushing me flooded my senses, overwhelming me completely. My very breath seemed to be squeezed out by an invisible force and I couldn't feel any of my limbs. I was dying all over again, in a cold and dark place.

Shouts and screamed echoed through my ears but I couldn't make sense of any of it. It was like the time I blew up the Sector 7 plate, all the chaos surrounding me and crushing anything that made sense. I had laughed back then, back amidst the smoke and fire and I laughed now. Laughing at the irony of death by icy water instead of burning fire and twisted metal.

* * *

"Reno, look at what a mess you've become."

My body shook again as Damnation gained a little advantage over me. Both of my hands were already his fierce claws and I felt his wings beginning to push through my skin. Gasping in pain and in weariness from fighting the demon, I looked up through hazed eyes to see the face of a woman I had almost forgotten.

"Ar-Argos," I forced out before a demonic snarl pushed its way through.

Damnation wasn't used to having to put up a fight, but I couldn't let him take me. He wanted to escape while everyone was trapped in the base so that he could go about destroying all living things on the PLANET, but I wouldn't let him do it.

"Yes, it's me, darling." She calmly walked over to me and stroked the sweaty red hair practically plastered to my face. "I told you that you would carry all of our sins, that you could save everyone on this PLANET."

"But you-you said I w-would die."

Another convulsion shook my body as two wings tore through my back, splashing blood across the back wall of the vehicle.

"And you will. I'm so sorry, but it has to be done."

"Th-the others? Are they-"

"They're struggling right now, but it looks like Tseng and the others that were outside have gone in to help. I'm sure that most of them will come out alive."

Most of them, what a joke. I couldn't bring myself to believe anything other than that they would all survive. Cloud would come out from the crumbling base looking like a freshly bathed kitten, Vincent would come out pissed, and everyone else would come forth shivering but alive. I couldn't die while they all lived, I just couldn't. I had to give that fucking ex-Turk a piece of my mind for his involvement with Rufus, I had to live to see my Boss's last moments, I had-"

The sickening sound of a knife plunging into flesh brought me back to reality. Pain flared up in my chest and I looked down to see her skinny hands clenching the knife that was now hilt deep in my chest. It had cut right into my heart, but that wasn't enough to guarantee that I would die with this monster in my body. No, she had to struggle to twist the knife, to be sure that I could not be saved.

I was left there, choking on my own blood and feebly attempting to stop the bleeding. If the knife were pulled out I would die almost immediately, so I clenched the weapon with both hands to keep her from taking what remained of my life.

"I'm so sorry, Reno," she whispered as she stood up. Her age seemed to be even more pronounced than the last time I saw her and there was even a glimmer of tears in her eyes. "If those little ones hadn't died like I expected them to, then I would have had to kill them too. You understand don't you? I'm protecting the PLANET and those on it in a way that Mr. Strife never could. Without you around, no one will ever have to worry about life being destroyed or about Jenova coming back."

"_Who will protect the PLANET when another disease comes through?!" _Damnation screeched. _"It was Chaos who kept this PLANET from being destroyed thousands of years ago when that Jenova first came! If he hadn't destroyed the infected Ancients, none of you would even be here! If I die, there will no longer be a safety for this fucking PLANET!"_

Of course, I was the only one who heard that and the horror of realization was painted all over my face. He was absolutely right. Damnation and Chaos were supposed to be last ditch efforts in the PLANET's self-defense. The WEAPONS were supposed to be around too, but we killed those things as well. If we took away this, who knew what would happen when the next crisis arose. Cloud wouldn't be there forever.

"D-d-destroy…PLANET…"

"Reno, I know that's what he's telling you to do, but trust me, it will all be over soon."

Fuck, that's not what I was saying! I was trying to tell her that she was making a mistake that would destroy the whole fucking PLANET! It was just a tad bit hard to make sense when you had a knife sticking out of your chest, though.

"Y-you, des-destroy…"

Blood began to spill down my lips as my heart was still erratically trying to beat. I could no longer speak with the blood flooding my mouth and panic filled me as I could literally feel my life slipping away. Argos was standing there with such a sad but content look on her face as if she had finally fulfilled her life's purpose.

"I'll be going now," she informed me gently as if would soothe the pain. "Perhaps I'll one day see you in the Lifestream."

Before she could even reach the door, it was kicked in by a very pissed off Cloud.

"Reno, you ass-"

He was absolutely drenched and there was already frost forming on his hair, but the thing I noticed the most was the look on his face as he gaped from Argos to my dying half-transformed body.

Spitting out blood, I told him all that he needed to know. "Argos."

As my vision began to fade, I saw her pull out a gun. It was a wasted move though, as Cloud cast petrifaction on her. Running past her, he skidded over to my side, holding me close to him. Although it would have been more romantic if we could have carried on a dying conversation like they did in the movies, he didn't waste time like that. He grabbed my headphones which had been conveniently out of my reach and he began calling for help. The warmth of a Full Cure being cast on me relieved some of the pain, but I wasn't just going to be knocked out. I was dying. I closed my eyes as I grew too exhausted to keep them open any longer.

"_Look, that smartass Turk is finally coming over, Mother."_

"_Kadaj, I already told you to quit calling me mother," _a familiar voice giggled. _"And it's not something to gloat about when someone is struggling in death."_

"_But he nearly killed my brothers with that stupid bomb," _Kadaj reasoned.

"_Well, you guys were trying to kill Cloud and destroy the PLANET."_

"_Minor details, Mother, just minor details."_

Dear Shiva, even my death wasn't going to be peaceful.

"_Now, now, Kadaj. You promised that you would be nice."_

"…_I know…"_

"Reno? Come on, stay with me baby," Cloud begged as he stroked my cheek. "Rude's coming, and he'll make you all better."

What was I, a three year old? Lies like that didn't make me feel any better.

"Lady…lady in the stones," I mumbled as best as I could, remembering the dream that I had earlier. "Gre-green stones, lady…"

"What are you talking about?" Cloud asked almost fearfully. "Lady in green stones?"

"U-under water, there…there…"

I shuddered as I felt the last of my strength seeping away to transform me back to my original form. At least when they buried me in the ground I'd be pretty.

"Shhh, please just hold on. You have to remember that you're not just living for yourself, you're living for Revelation, Teioh, and Ana. They need you to hold them, to protect them, to love them!"

Every word that spilled past those lips was a desperate whisper, hoping beyond all hope that I could pull out of this. He was obviously wasting all his magic powers on casting his Mastered Full Cure on me, but I appreciated it.

"I r-really do…" a fit of coughing interrupted my nice little speech, "…do l-lo-love you."

"Damn it all, Reno!" he screamed with tears leaking out of those gorgeous eyes. "Don't leave me here, I need you. Please, fuck, please!"

I smiled, content to be in his arms as my eyes slid shut once more. The sounds surrounding me began to blur into one large annoying sound and I was happy when it all just faded away.

Although I was now in the realm between being dead and alive, it wasn't as peaceful as I thought it would be. Instead, it was the first time that my mind was truly clear and I was left to think about everything that had happened recently. Fuck, I had really given birth to three gorgeous kids. I, Reno Stryker, a failure that wasn't even supposed to live long enough to think about having kids much less having a family, had Cloud and my three babies.

Revelation, he was delivered from my body and I considered him my child as well, but here alone with my own thoughts I had to face the truth. I was scared of him. Cloud had let us all know in no uncertain terms that he was planning to protect that child from anyone who dared to even think about harming him. He said that Revelation wasn't really Sephiroth but did that mean he wasn't dangerous? He showed symptoms of carrying Jenova genes, of being related to that evil bitch. Did that mean he would be dangerous?

Still, just the fact that he had carried that child and that he had grown within the Turk's body, and that had to count for something. How could something so tiny and precious grow up to harm anyone? But he had to remember that Sephiroth and even the Franklins had started that way too.

"Do they really need me?" I wondered to myself. "Would Cloud take them in if I can't care for them?"

Possessiveness flared up in my mind at the thought of someone else taking care of my children. I may end up being a terrible parent myself, but that didn't mean that I wanted to just hand them off to someone else. They were mine for Shiva's sake!

"I want my babies!" I shouted to the emptiness. "They're mine, and I want them back! I want Cloud, I want my family!"

* * *

"You lucky bastard," someone whispered in my ear as I stirred. "You sure love scaring the shit out of me."

"Gah, Rude," I groaned forcing my eyes open.

Looking around I saw my best buddy leaning on the bed with puffy eyes that told me that he hadn't been sleeping in a long while. It soon became evident why he was whispering as well. Everyone else in the room was sprawled out fast asleep.

"You should be sleeping too," I chided him even as I winced from the pain of talking.

"And you should be dead," he retorted. "But I'm glad you're not."

"Heh, me too."

I wondered how I had managed to live through yet another attempt on my life, but I was too tired to put too much thought into it. Just being alive was enough for me.

"Notice anything different?" Rude asked as he pushed some of my stray hair behind an ear.

It only took a few moments before I understood what he was talking about. There was no bloodlust or voices in my mind.

"It's…it's gone. How did-"

"Cloud. As soon as you went into surgery, he dragged Vincent with him to some cave under the ocean and he came back with a strange stone called Protomateria. I don't know all the details, but as soon as it came in contact with you, your body absorbed it."

"I got more shit in my system?" I asked sarcastically. "Damn, there's more material in this body then there is me!"

"Shhhh," he warned me as Elena stirred a little. "They need rest, so let's keep it down."

"Where is Cloud? Where's my babies?"

"Cloud went to stay with the kids so that they wouldn't get lonely and so that no crazy doctor would get a chance to take them."

"Speaking of which, what happened?"

Rubbing his bloodshot eyes, he leaned back in his chair before answering.

"Get comfortable, buddy. There, now you probably know that the wall holding back the stream collapsed. When it did, most of us nearly got swept away. Vincent ended up clawing his way back into the building and Cloud kept a firm grip on me until we got pulled out by Tifa and them."

"And the doctors?"

"Dead. They were washed out by the river, but we found their bodies and verified that it was them."

I was disappointed to hear that they had died without their due punishment, but at least they could no longer hurt people or carry out the sick wishes of Hojo.

"And-"

"Let me finish first, Reno," he interrupted. "As soon as we got pulled out of the frigid water, we were all pretty much suffering from hypothermia, but when you didn't respond to our calls, Cloud went to check up on you. That's when he found you and Argos in the command truck. He managed to keep you alive until Tifa and Cait got there and they used their magic to keep you alive all the way to the hospital."

"What happened to Argos?"

Looking at me in annoyance, Rude continued with his story. "Tseng and Red XIII stayed behind to destroy the base and to take care of any records and the rest of us rushed you back here. Argos was officially arrested as soon as we got here and she's under watch right now. You were in surgery for 16 hours and during that time Cloud went off to find that Protomateria. Vincent didn't want to go with him because of the kids, but he got dragged off anyway. Cid was left to watch over the two kids and Rufus."

"Is Rufus-"

"Shit, Reno, shut up!" he hissed. I chuckled and leaned back to let him finish. There was so much that I wanted to know but Rude wanted to tell me stuff at his own pace. "Tseng has been bouncing between you and Rufus ever since he got over here. Although we all expected the both of you to die a few days ago, neither of you have given up. Of course, you got a hell of a lot better once the Protomateria was absorbed into your body. Rufus still hasn't improved, but at least he stopped getting worse. Now those two kids are seriously screwed up and they've been put into an intensive care room though they won't take any treatment. They seem to kind of like Cid, but are still wary of everyone."

He took a tired breath and scratched his bald head as he leaned back. I wanted to ask him even more questions, but I wasn't sure if he was finished or not. After a few minutes he leaned forward again and continued.

"Midgar's in an uproar with everything that's been happening and all of us are a little lost. I mean, they don't know what happened to the Boss or you, or anything relating to the Franklins, but there's too much to try to cover up. Rufus always knew what to do, how to handle these situations, and now? I guess Tseng would be the next in line to the Shinra Company, but I don't think that's a job that he wants. After all, we're Turks through and through. No one wants one of us scumbags to run any kind of company at all."

"If I'm stubborn, Rufus is extremely stubborn."

"Reno?"

Looking down at the sheets, I clenched them tightly, hoping that I was thinking straight. He had already lived through so much, so this just had to be another test. Heck, if I survived through the wilderness, then there was a chance that Rufus would be able to pull out of this as well.

"I need to talk to those kids."

"What?" he whispered in shock. "Valentine is being super protective of them, so he may not let you see them. Besides, you shouldn't even be fucking moving!"

Shrugging, I leaned over and shut off the machines. It hurt to move as much as I was moving, but I didn't have time to waste. Rude cursed silently as he helped me get untangled from the wires and get out of the bed. Elena and Tseng got a little more comfortable on the couch that they had converted into a bed.

Silently, my trusty partner wheeled me out of the room and down a few halls. As we made our way over there I took the chance to look at my chest where I had been stabbed. Argos had shoved that knife right into my heart and now looking at the bandage I wondered what the flesh looked like under. Did I still have unnatural healing abilities?

"Did I need a heart transplant?" I asked suddenly making Rude stop.

"Does it matter, partner?"

The question made me smile and I shook my head.

"Not at all."

"Ok, then."

It only took a few more seconds before we made it to the room that held the two strange boys. Vincent was pacing in front of the room, obviously at a loss of what to do. I looked in at the kids and chuckled. Now that I know that Vincent and Rufus are their fathers I couldn't help but see the similarities. Obviously, they both had that mess of chocolate hair that Vincent had, but the smaller guy had bright blue eyes, just like Rufus did. For some reason, the other kid was still wearing the blindfold and the box that kept him from talking, so I didn't get a chance to see if he had my brother's eyes as well. The fair skin, the bad attitudes, yep, they were definitely the spawn of two devils.

"Why haven't you taken that blindfold off?" I asked Vincent.

Instead of answering, he outstretched his gauntlet and Rude inhaled sharply as the nearly shattered metal was revealed to us. Cracks covered the entire surface and it looked like it was ready to fall off his arm at any moment.

"So he didn't like it huh? Well, I need to talk to him."

Pulling his hand back to his body and turned towards me. There was confusion and anger in his eyes. I could see that he didn't really want me to go near his children, but I just stared him right in the eye. He was not a beast, no matter what Hojo did to him and there was no reason for him to be so overprotective.

"I'm not going to hurt them, Vincent, and you know that."

He nodded briefly before returning to his pacing. Although he didn't show it, I knew that he was keeping his eyes on me. Oh well, it's not like I was going to do anything to them. As soon as the door opened, the two little guys looked up from the corner they were huddled in.

"Nice to see you again, yo," I started off. "I wanted to ask you guys for a favor."

The smaller one stared at me like I was a giant bug and the other one just pulled him closer. I was about to ask again, but the younger one turned and spoke to me.

"Reno, you are well?"

I was shocked to here just a weak and empty voice, but I recovered quickly.

"Better than expected. Are you guys doin' good to?"

"No. Our assistance is required?"

"Sheesh, don't make it sound like I need you guys to hit someone," I joked before I remembered that that's exactly what they had been used for. "Ah, sorry."

"No need for apologies. What do you want us to do, Reno?"

"Well, first off, you kids don't need to be such bastards to Vincent. He's worryin' over you all. Second, would you guys take a look at Rufus. He's my little brother and right now there's not much that anyone can do for him. Would you guys be able help him?"

The kid seemed to ponder it for a moment before he nodded.

"He is the one who bore us?"

"Er…yeah." How the hell did they know?

"Then." He paused and jerked his head before continuing. "We will see him and try to help. I will go, and you just need to plug me into the computer."

"Excuse me? Plug you in?"

"Yes. Do you not have that technology?"

"No, we sure don't."

"Then let me get near him."

Nodding, I signaled to Rude. He wheeled me out, and the little guy followed me. His body movements were jerky and seemed unstable, but I didn't say anything about it. Vincent seemed to be even more stressed out by his son leaving the room, but he didn't say anything. As soon as we got to the Boss's room, I glanced at the kid. Nothing changed in his facial expression at seeing the man who had tragically given birth to him.

"Ok, here he is. He's in critical condition, so be gentle."

"Understood."

Entering the room, the kid went straight for the computers. He didn't even bother to give Rufus a second glance and that made me feel sad. I didn't want my kids to be that insensitive to me no matter what. He fiddled with a few of the buttons before pulling one cord out. Watching in curiosity, I witnessed as he stripped the wire and shoved it into his arm. That's when I noticed the holes that he had in his body and I shuddered.

The kid convulsed a little and his eyelids fluttered before he pulled the cord out. Cid stood next to me, but didn't say a word. He looked just as confused as I did and he puffed heavily on his cigarette. The boy turned to us and nodded before he made his way back outside.

"What's up?" I asked. "Can you help him?"

"Number 1 did not shoot to kill. All he needs is a jump start to his brain, and he will live."

"What?!"

"Unfortunately, he will have damage and that may not be healed for a while."

"Still, that's a hell of a lot better than how he is now! Let's do it!"

"The doctors may not approve as this will not be at all conventional."

"I'll take care of that," Rude replied as he cracked his knuckles. "Just help him."

Nodding, the boy went back into the room and Cid and I watched as he fiddled with the machinery some more. It was scary to be honest, but I trusted that it would all be ok. I had no other choice. Besides, I knew that there was goodness in these little guys. The bigger one had let me know where I was when I had been kidnapped and they never seriously tried to kill me.

"Ya think it'll work?" Cid asked gruffly.

"Sure. If not, we're screwed."

"Yeah, Vincent will kill us."

"Yup."

It's probably better for everyone if I don't go into detail about what exactly happened next. Suffice it to say that Rufus didn't look like he enjoyed it and both Cid and I looked like we were going to be sick. Electricity does not sit will with the human body especially in large amounts. However, it was all worth it when Rufus gasped and his eyes flitted open.

"Rufus!" I cried, signaling for Rude to wheel me into the room.

Cid just stood out there and scratched his head while I was rushed to my brother's side. He didn't look very good, but it was still a hell of a lot better than looking dead. Those perfect blue eyes looked around in confusion and he didn't seem able to respond to my numerous questions.

"He will not be able to understand things for a while since his neurons are reconnecting and rebuilding," the little guy stated as he stared blankly at me.

"Then how is he awake?" Rude asked.

"Do you really want to know?" the kid deadpanned.

"Uh, I guess not."

"Good. You wouldn't understand it anyway."

"Don't be such a bitch," I replied before Rude could. "All that matters is that he's alive."

Rufus almost looked scared as I reached out my hand and stroked his cheek. It must be so strange for him to not understand anything we were saying or doing. In all honesty, he was probably acting a hell of a lot better than I would if I were in his shoes. He opened his mouth to say something only to realize that he couldn't even remember how to put words together.

"Shhh, it's ok, you're going to be ok."

"I'm going to wake up Tseng," Rude informed me as he headed out.

"Yeah, I'll…I'll fucking get Vincent," Cid grumbled before he left.

The boy looked at me with a tilt of his head as if he didn't understand the way I was comforting Rufus, but he didn't ask anything about it. Instead he turned his back on the both of us and headed towards the door.

"I will go to my brother," he stated plainly as his hand jerkily twisted the doorknob.

"Hey, wait," I requested. "What are you and your brother's names?"

His head jerked to look me in the eye before answering. "He is Number 1 and I am Number 2."

With that, he slowly made his way down the hall. It was hard to believe that when he was fighting he was so fluid and flexible, but just normal actions seemed so difficult for him. When I looked back at Rufus I was shocked to see tears rolling down his cheeks and he looked just as surprised. His mouth moved and a few experimental noises made their way past his throat as one of his hands slowly tried to brush away the moisture running down his face. It hurt just to see him so helpless, and I pulled him into a hug. He struggled against it for a little bit and it hurt pretty badly when he pressed against the flesh covering my heart, but I still held on.

"J-joph," he managed to spit out, still struggling stubbornly.

"C'mon Boss, you need ta take it slowly," I reprimanded gently. "Just let your brain chill out for a bit."

I smiled warmly as I wiped away the tears that he couldn't seem to stop crying. Looking into those unguarded and still icy blue eyes I chuckled and kissed his cheek. This was most likely the only time I would see such a juvenile and innocent look on his face, so I cherished it. However, I didn't have long as Vincent rushed into the room in a flare of tattered clothes and heavy buckles.

Rolling my eyes, I pushed myself away from the bed so that the ex-Turk could take my place. He knelt on the floor next to Rufus and took his hand gently. Rufus just stared at him in confusion, much the same way he looked at me.

"Rufus, I'm so sorry," Vincent apologized as he kissed that flawless hand. "So sorry."

The President just tried to pull his hand away which made me want to laugh, but I held it in for Vincent's sake. He was facing a whole lot emotionally and I knew how that felt. Tseng came into the room not long after and I saw a look of relief flood his face before he pulled back on his emotionless mask.

"Reno, it's a miracle, right?" Tseng asked me.

"Not really, the kid-"

"No, it's a miracle," he stated firmly.

Nodding I got his drift. "Yeah, I mean, I just walk in, yo, and he's all better."

"I owe you two an explanation," Vincent murmured as he turned to face the both of us.

"Yes you do," Tseng replied firmly. Damn, he was cold.

"I came to visit Rufus as he was on his deathbed. I cannot explain it, but when I saw him I wasn't able to control both Chaos and my own lust. It was a horrible thing for me to do, and I won't make excuses. I forced myself onto him." Those crimson eyes stared intently at the tile at our feet as he continued. "Several weeks later I came to visit him again, wishing to apologize if he even remembered but I stumbled onto something horrible. He was pregnant with my children."

"Dang," I mumbled. "How did you know? The rest of us didn't even have a clue!"

"Chaos instantly sensed it. The doctors were aware that something was wrong with him, but they just chalked it up to his numerous problems at that time. They didn't bother to think that it was something new."

"Why didn't you inform us?" Tseng asked calmly.

"Truthfully, I panicked. I knew that if I waited too long to tell him, he would find out the hard way, so I told him the moment he was conscious."

"Tch, I can't see that going very well," I snorted.

"You're right. He was already in so much physical pain and so mentally tired. Hearing that I had forced myself upon him and I ended up impregnating him had nearly made him snap. His first thought was to abort the children immediately, but I begged him to keep them. I swore that I would protect them and that I wouldn't even force him to stay with them. All he had to do was carry them to term and then he would never have to see them or me again."

"Guess that didn't work out," Tseng threw in a little vehemently. He hated it when he didn't know things about Rufus.

"No, it didn't," Vincent replied as he brushed back his bangs wearily. "He had me hunt down doctors that knew about special case pregnancies and I brought them in to care for him. Of course he had to continue with his numerous surgeries, but those two were always there to make sure that his pregnancy wasn't revealed to anyone including his Turks."

"Those were the Franklins?" I guessed, knowing the answer.

"Yes. Rufus…he suffered terribly during the surgeries. I could do nothing but stay in the shadows to make sure that he never tried to kill my children, and I made the mistake of focusing so much on them and my own personal problems that I didn't bother to care for Rufus. It wasn't until after their kidnapping that I realized just how much damage I had done to him."

"And that wasn't all," Tseng goaded.

"No, I hurt him even worse." He looked over at Rufus who seemed focused on trying to figure out what his hand was for. "His body reached its limit when they were seven and a half months old and the doctors performed an emergency C-section. I wasn't even there when they delivered my children and decided to kidnap them in order to experiment on them." Biting his lip, Vincent forced himself to finish his confession. "Rufus, he…he called me. He had stitched himself together and dragged himself to the nearest phone to call for help."

"Why did they leave him to die?" I asked softly.

"No witnesses. They told him that the babies had died during the childbirth, but even his drug induced mind realized that something was wrong. I arrived as quickly as I could, but it was almost too late. He was in shock and was dying too fast for me to get professional help. I finally realized what I had done to him and in horror I tried to save his life. I managed to force a part of Chaos into his body in order to extend his life, much in the same way that Lucrecia had saved mine. However, it wasn't long before I realized that even that had been a mistake."

"Chaos didn't like being torn in two," I added in and he nodded.

"We both knew what had to be done in order to keep Chaos from taking complete control of Rufus and wreaking havoc. Besides that, his body was too weak to handle something that traumatic. He hated me, completely and utterly hated me."

By this time, Vincent's voice was low and he closed his eyes at the painful memories. I couldn't really imagine what it must have been like for both Rufus and Vincent. To hate and be hated while in each other's arms constantly, it must have been horrible.

"So how did you two end up sharing feelings?" Tseng asked.

"Feelings? It's nearly impossible to be in a physical relationship like we had for as long as we had without some kind of bond developing. I tried my hardest to repay him for everything that I had done to him, and he just tried to forget it all. Unfortunately, after his Geostigma was cured, he remembered that the doctors had indeed kidnapped my children. Guilt for letting that happen plagued him, and nothing that I said made him think anything other than it was his fault. That's when we began our search for the children. Still, even that wasn't able to bring us much closer since I could still not deal with my own past. I regret it even more now that I have come to terms with my own ghosts because I do honestly feel appreciation and care for him."

"So you don't think that he'll love you anymore?" I asked curiously.

"Of course not," he snorted as if that thought was the most ridiculous thing in the world. "I ruined his life and on top of that, I let the lives of our sons be ruined as well. They are damaged practically beyond repair and that was all because I didn't realize that they had been kidnapped until it was too late. I had sworn to him that I would protect them, and in the end I protected them about as well as I protected him. He has no reason to love me, and now we don't even have Chaos to force us into a physical relationship. It's over for us, although it would be more accurate to say that there never was anything for us."

Shaking my head I couldn't believe that he was going to give up so quickly. If Cloud and I had managed to get back together than those two had a pretty good chance as well.

"Why do they look so old?" Tseng asked thoughtfully.

Vincent shrugged as he shook his head sadly. "I can only guess that it was the experiments they were forced into."

Setting his hand back on the sheets, Rufus turned to look at us calmly, almost with that abnormal certainty that he possessed.

"Josef," he said clearly, making all of us gape in shock.

Vincent chuckled as he stroked my little brother's cheek softly. "That's what he named the younger one," he explained. "Looks like he's too stubborn to stay confused for too long."

"I give him a few more hours," I said with a sad smile. It was obvious that Vincent cared deeply for my little brother, but I had no way of knowing if Rufus would return those feelings.

"What did he name the older one?" Tseng asked softly.

"Victor," Vincent replied with certainty. "Victor and Josef, two proper names for a Shinra heir."

"And a Valentine heir," I added. "I'm sure he'll agree to that.

Elena bursted into the room with tears welling in her eyes and I chuckled at how she immediately glomped the still unrecovered Rufus. He gave an unhappy grunt and tried to get her off of him, but she latched on firmly crying about how he shouldn't ever do something that would scare us that badly ever again. Leaning back in my wheelchair I sighed contentedly as I watched the scene play out before me.

So much had happened to all of us in only a matter of a few months and yet we were all still here together. I was in a firm relationship with Cloud and we had three beautiful children. Everyone who had contributed to these months of hell was dead or in jail, and we all came out of this mess alive.

Even though we weren't out of the woods quite yet, and there was still a lot of recovering to do, I was happy. I was sure that we would all heal and that everything would fall back into place. This was my happily ever after, sitting in a room with my brothers and sister, with my family a few halls away, and a new life full of certainty and uncertainty waiting for me.


	17. Epiloge

**My Happily Ever After: Epilogue**

**HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!! I hope that you all ate great food and had a fun time. Before you read this, I want to remind you all that I made some changes to all the other chapters. First, I went through and corrected a bunch more grammar and spelling mistakes. Second, I tried to fit the plot more in canon with the Dirge of Cerberus plot line. Thankfully, doing that didn't really change anything that major. Thirdly, I went back and fixed a few mistakes I made with the characters, specifically Rufus and Vincent. I really wanted to keep it the way I had it, but it seemed a little out of character. So, I went back through all their scenes and made them a little more bitchy (lol) and I also tried to add a little of Vincent's issues about caring for Rufus because of the fact that he was still in love with Lucrecia. Once again, nothing major, but it does set an entirely new mood to their conversations. I carried a little of that over here, but since this takes place years later, those two have gotten a little better at liking one another. Also, they are still not an official item, but Vincent will come and visit the kids often while Rufus has the official custody. Also, the triplets ARE toddlers, even if they sometimes don't act like it. XD On another note, it was impossible to write this without making a few other couples, so don't kill me if you aren't a fan of who I hooked up. I tried to take a non-traditional route on that, so enjoy the surprises! Oh, and there is SMUT in the this chapter, a little fanservice for all of you. Finally, there is a nice little teaser at the end of this chapter that takes place several years later. Please enjoy!  
**

"Wahhhh! Mama, Revelation kicked me!"

"He pinched me first!"

"Shut the hell up!" I chided as I focused on getting pajamas on the child in front of me.

Her large blue eyes peeked from the collar as she quietly let me dress her. A large crashing sound came from the back of the room, making my eye twitch in annoyance, but the little girl didn't even flinch.

"Rrawwhhh!" came the battle cry of one of two idiot boys.

"Hold on sweetie," I informed my daughter as I turned to deal with the others.

"It's fucking bedtime, you two!"

I jumped over the bed easily and tackled the two toddlers. They both squealed as they tried to wrestle out of my grip.

"I'm not tired, though," Teioh whined as he put his foot on my chin.

"Me either," Revelation added as he tried tickling my ribs.

Heaving them up effortlessly into the air, I kept their attacks at bay for the moment.

"C'mon yo, this is the fourth lamp you kids have broken. I'm not gonna keep replacin' them, ya know."

Both boys went still and looked down.

"We're sorry," they both replied at the same time.

I sighed and tossed them both on the soft large bed that they shared. They giggled as they bounced back up before settling on the covers.

"Tch, ya think I'm made of money or somthin'," I complained as I went back to Ana who was still standing where she had been left.

My eyes softened as I finished getting her dressed. She hadn't really spoken much, but that was to be expected considering the major mental damage she had. The fact that she could walk a little and stand was a huge improvement and it gave me hope. Ana would never be "normal" but she at least wasn't dead or a human vegetable. Even when it came for my time to die, it was at least fairly simple for her brothers to care for her and who knew? Maybe she would be a little independent in thirty years or so. It was impossible for her to ever be completely free from the confines of her family, but at least she wasn't ever going to be a helpless dying invalid.

Once the small girl was completely dressed in the soft material that she loved so much, I swept her off her feet and carried her to the bed where Revelation and Teioh were wrestling again. She was too scared to sleep by herself and would cry if she wasn't near her troublesome brothers.

"Hey you two, settle down."

Seeing their sister, the two quit beating the snot out of each other and calmed down. Teioh went fishing for Ana's favorite moogle doll and Revelation pulled back the covers so that she could crawl under them. A happy sigh passed my thin lips as I watched to two boys tend to their sister, treating her like the princess that she was. Although I would never tell anyone, I thought that she loved being pampered that way by them. Her blank eyes would light up a little every time one of her brothers treated her with a new toy or played games with her.

Revelation's unreal eyes looked up slowly, his silver bangs slightly obstructing their view.

"Can we have a story tonight?" he asked softly as he got under the covers next to Ana.

"Yeah! A story!" Teioh jumped in looking up with expectant eyes.

Ana just smothered her stitched moogle some more.

"Eh, well, it's kinda late…"

"Awwww!" came the resounding reply.

Scratching the flesh beneath my bright red tattoo, I sighed and sat on the edge of the kids' bed. Sensing their victory, the children leaned back on their pillows and stared intently at me as my brain struggled to come up with a bedtime story for them. I had already told them all the kid-friendly stories about my Turk missions, about Cloud saving the PLANET, about Vincent saving the PLANET, and a bunch of other stuff that never happened.

"Well, uh, once upon a time," I began as usual.

"You always say that," Revelation interjected.

Shaking my head, I marveled at the kid's intelligence and impatience.

"Fine, at a certain point in time many many years ago…"

"That's better."

"Shut up and let me tell the damn story."

The child smiled and snuggled under the blankets as I continued to tell the story.

"At a certain point in time many many years ago, there was a…a man." Nodding to myself, I continued to fabricate a pathetic story. "He was a spoiled rotten brat who was the heir to an entire kingdom, and he was raised receiving everything that he had ever wanted. Diamonds as big as chocobo eggs decorated his gold room and he slept on pillows made of soft moogle skins."

Ana grunted unhappily as she squeezed her stuffed animal and I adjusted my story.

"On pillows of soft processed cotton." Seeing Ana smile in approval, I continued. "So this royal brat went out walking one day and he ended up getting lost in the poor side of town."

"Ooohhh," the two boys added as the sound effects.

"Looking around in fear at the big scruffy men, Ruf-, I mean, the spoiled prince, began to cry like a little girl." The two boys snickered making me smile proudly. "So, as he was crying, a gang leader showed up. He was tall, muscular, and extremely good looking. His hair was like a roaring flame and his dazzling smile could have made a blind man squint."

"Was his head on fire?" Teioh asked a little confused by the simile.

"Uh, sure, yeah."

"Oh, cool."

"Anyway, so he came up to the brat prince and asked him, 'What are you doing on my turf, little boy?' The prince looked up with his large teary eyes and fainted."

I continued to spin my not-entirely-true-or-false story until all three of the children slipped into the happy world of childhood dreams. As usual, Revelation was the last one to fall asleep, his determined eyes blinking back sleep until a little help from my mastered Sleep finally put him down into the warm embrace of dreams. Getting up from the edge of the bed, I went around and kissed each child on the forehead.

After making sure that feet were tucked in, thumbs were planted in their respective mouths, and moogles were being squeezed by the right kid, I smiled and proceeded to clean up the broken lamp. It didn't take long to clean up the modest little room, but it always gave me something to do before retiring to my own room. The soft sound of the three children breathing always calmed me down and soothed my nerves.

Once I was finished with tidying up the room, I plugged in the night light and shut off the other light. As usual, I left the door only cracked open so that the kids didn't have to fight with the door handle if they needed a bathroom break. Looking down the empty hall, I couldn't help but sigh to myself. Trying to fight off sleep for a little bit longer, I went through all the spare bedrooms, making sure that they were clean and organized. Anyone who thought that I was a messy slob would have been right a few years ago, but after having kids, I got used to it. After the upstairs rooms were finished, minus my own bedroom, I went downstairs and cleaned up what was left of our dinner. Elena had thankfully sent over something palatable this time, so there wasn't puke to clean up along with the dirty dishes.

The methodical cleaning didn't take as long as I had wanted, but I sighed unhappily and headed back upstairs. Pulling the rubber band out of my once again long hair, I shook out the crimson locks and groaned as I rubbed my sore scalp. Going into the master bathroom, I made a point of not looking at the cold empty bed. I didn't want to think about that right now.

It didn't take very long for me to finish my nightly rituals, but I stayed in the bathroom staring at my reflection for a little longer. My green eyes still hadn't lost the glow they got all those years ago, and my tattoos still had the sheen of my enemy's blood. Looking intently at the mirror, it was hard to find anything that made me look any older. Even the edges of my eyes where there should have been wrinkles from my constant smiling were still smooth. A burning sensation settled in my chest under the ugly scar which would always remind me of that one painful year.

"_You don't seriously think that you'll age normally with me inside of you, do you?"_ came the familiar snide remark.

Not bothering to answer, I shoved Damnation's consciousness back into the corner of my mind where the damn thing was supposed to stay. Thanks to the Protomateria, I was able to control the demon and I didn't have to put up with it at all if I didn't want to. Although I could have put the beast into a deep slumber until it was once again summoned to destroy the PLANET, a small part of me felt bad and kept the beast awake.

Finally, I couldn't avoid it anymore. Stepping out of the bathroom, I entered into my cold room. Flicking the light off, I made my way to the bed and fell on it with an unhappy sigh. How long had it been since I had watched the blond driving away into the plains? Days? Months? Years? To me, it didn't really matter. Any amount of time was too much and my heart was aching. Without Cloud, the bed was cold and hollow, a place that scared me more than it comforted me.

"Get a hold of yourself," I chided myself as I rolled over on my side.

Rubbing my hands against my bare arms, I tried to push away the bad feelings that were constantly creeping up. Looking around the simple room, my eyes rested on the picture of me and Cloud happily standing in front of our newly finished house with the three kids in our arms. I could still remember that day clearly, as if it was only yesterday that I had tried to wrangle a damn chocobo before nearly getting my eyeballs pecked out. Cloud had laughed so hard that he was doubled over crying while I was left to run around the corral screaming obscenities. The memory brought a small smile to my lips as I hugged myself tightly. That's what I wanted to dream about, that day.

And dream about it I did. I could almost feel those strong arms hugging me happily, those lips kissing my neck as we made our way around the two-storied house. That warm breath that gave me goosebumps lightly running over my left ear to nipple at the ruby stud there before he whispered.

"Miss me?"

That voice was so clear and alive that it made me jerk awake. Immediately, I felt the wind chilled leather against my skin and a nuzzling idiot kissing my cheek. Smiling giddily, I turned around and gave him a nice long welcome home kiss. When we pulled apart he sighed happily and I gave him one last loving peck.

"It's good to have you back," I whispered so that I wouldn't wake up the kids.

"It's good to be back," he replied kissing my forehead.

"You're not supposed to be back until tomorrow, though," I stated, even though I was extremely happy that he was here in my arms instead.

"Well, we finished getting everything prepared a little early, so I wanted to come home instead of spending the night over there."

Nuzzling into his neck, I couldn't help but smile like an idiot, happy to know that Cloud had missed me and the kids as much as we had missed him. He ran his cold fingers through my soft hair, before dragging them down to rub against my back.

"That t-shirt is sexy," he whispered huskily in my ear making me snort.

"How can something with 'I'm the evil twin' written on it be sexy? You're just horny from riding that bike."

"Haha, you know exactly how to make me sound perverted," my little kitten replied happily.

"It's just the damn truth," I shot back with a smirk.

"Hey," he scolded softly, "you promised to quit cussing as much so that the kids won't pick it up."

Rolling my eyes I nodded slowly. "I am working on it, yo."

"Sure," he retorted with unbelief dripping from his words.

"Did Shelke decide to come?" I asked to change the conversation.

"Oh, yeah! It didn't take much convincing since I had Vincent ask her."

Laughing, I shook my head. "Fuck, you're just trying to get Rufus pissed off at you, aren't you?"

He smiled mischievously. "Of course not! I'm innocent."

The man holding me was anything but innocent, but I still loved him the same.

"Whatever you say, kitten."

He kissed the tip of my nose tenderly and I couldn't keep in the sigh of contentment. I ran my hands over his back, before one naughtily dipped lower to grab his ass. He jerked a little and I snickered as I felt him get immediately aroused.

"Aw, come on, Reno," he whined. "Don't tease me! We've got a full day tomorrow and you need your rest."

"Tch, don't give me that bullshit, yo," I shot back, still groping his back end. "If I'm horny, then I'm horny. Just fuck me already."

One slow rub against his erection was all it took to convince him. Kissing me quickly on the lips, he pulled back to get undressed. Leaning on one of my arms, I watched as all those clothes were peeled off his fabulous body. He was no longer shy of my slightly voyeuristic tendencies, which only made his strip tease even more gratifying. He winked sultrily at me as he pulled off his muscle shirt, revealing the most perfect torso known on this damn PLANET. I couldn't wait to taste it and press my own naked body against it. Which reminded me that I was still dressed.

As I sat up to pull off my clothes, Cloud lightly took my wrist and shook his head. Nodding, I slipped off my boxers and watched as he crawled into bed with me. Taking a hold of the back of his neck, I pulled him into a heated kiss. He held me tightly against him as if he were afraid that I would simply disappear if he let go. I clutched as tightly to him both hating and loving the fact that I was so needy for him. This was the only man that could ever make me feel this way.

It didn't take long at all for us to move on from the kissing to more interesting things. Cloud was mercilessly teasing my nipples through the fabric of the shirt, making me moan and tug his hair roughly. He just looked up at me with those fucking gorgeous eyes and nibbled some more. He was rubbing his hands together to warm up the lube before he began preparing me, but I still moaned deeply as he penetrated me with the first finger.

I tossed my head back and tugged harder on his hair until he finally put in another finger and began working me. Those familiar fingers rubbed my prostate as he stretched me out and I instinctively swung my legs over his shoulders. Pulling away from my chest, his planted his full lips against my inner thigh before lightly suckling the skin. He was mercilessly pleasuring my entire body, and I loved the attention. I wanted to pleasure him as well, but I knew that the time for that would come soon enough. For now, it was enough to receive the lavish attention.

Once I was properly prepared, he rubbed the cooling liquid over his entire length, grunting from the pleasure of touching himself. I smiled just watching him prepare to take me and I thought of how lucky I was to have this guy. Sure, he was bitchy at times and still had plenty of issues, but he was perfect for me.

"Shiva, so glad we don't need to use those fucking condoms anymore," he grunted as he finally pulled my legs up over his shoulder again.

Snorting, I shook my head. "You are such a _man_, Cloud. If it's not my body around your cock, you don't like it."

"But it's not the same," he whined as he began pushing into me.

Seriously, he was just like a kid sometimes. An annoying bratty kid, but a kid nonetheless.

"Of course not," I teased as I winced a little.

"Hey, you don't have to wear them when you're fucking me, so you can't complain," he huffed as he kept himself from tearing me a new one.

"It's 'cause I don't have super sperm," I replied, breathing deeply as he stilled within me, allowing me enough time to adjust to his girth.

"Not my fault," he choked out, tossing his head back. "Fuck, so hot, Reno."

Feeling myself adjust just fine, I nodded to him and he began the slow measured strokes that barely missed my prostate. That bastard knew exactly how to fuck me and make me scream after doing it for so many years we no longer needed guesswork when having sex so I knew that he was torturing me on purpose. I clenched down on him making him moan loudly as he began to pick up the pace.

Kissing him sloppily, I adjusted my position to force him to hit my sweet spot and I gasped as he did. That fiery feeling shot through my body, electrifying all of my nerves at the same time. Everything became more sensitive, even the clothes rubbing against my chest. Leaning forward, Cloud delicately licked the cloth above my nipple where my ugly scar was raised. It made me cry out in pleasure and I squeezed around him even tighter.

"D-dear Shiva! Fuck, fuck, fuck," I chanted as he continued to pound into me.

"Keep squeezing m-me like that and I'll come too soon," he replied between heavy breaths.

"Come on," I teased as I cried out again. "Y-you can hold ooouuuut!"

"Reno! So fucking beautiful, so fucking perfect!"

By now, he was rambling off praises that I was too distracted to pay attention to. All I wanted to feel was that body joined with mine, to hear his heavy gasps, and to see that perfect face contort in pure pleasure. Never again did I want to see him suffering, to see him sad.

"Ooooh, come on, harder!"

He obliged, pushing into me roughly as I clenched the sheets tightly. Really, this little fuck wasn't supposed to take us long and we sure weren't going to last too much longer. I could feel him swelling within my body and I cried out in bliss as he reached forward and began to stroke me.

"A-almost there," he gasped, trying to kiss me while I thrashed my head.

"Daddy? Are you home?" came the innocent question making the both of us freeze instantly.

Staring at each other in panic, he pulled himself out of me and covered himself with the blanket while I jumped up and slipped into my boxers as I opened the door. Standing there were all three kids looking sleepily up at me. Upon seeing the blond, though, their eyes brightened and they rushed over to him. Revelation walked Ana over to the bed while Teioh launched himself on his father.

Cloud laughed half in pain and half in joy as the kids hugged him and began chatting away about their day. Ana settled herself on his lap and just sat there playing with her moogle as the other two fought over his attention. I noticed that he was still quite hard from our sexual encounter and he was trying his best to concentrate on what each of the boys was saying. Shaking me own head, I walked over there and sat next to him. I let the kids harass him for a few minutes before I commanded that they go back to bed.

They obviously whined and protested having to go back to bed, saying that they were too old for a bedtime or some shit like that. Before I could haul them over to their bed myself, Cloud jumped in and tried to mediate.

"What about if you guys sleep here?" he suggested making all of them (except Ana of course) cheer loudly.

Shaking my head, I watched as the all cuddled in the middle of the bed, trying to get the warm sheets around them comfortably.

"Hey, I need to talk to your dad real quick in the bathroom, so you guys just get to bed."

They nodded obediently and as they focused on getting into "their" areas of the bed, Cloud slipped on his boxers and went into the bathroom. As soon as the door closed, I slid down to my knees and licked at his erection through the thin material of his boxers. He grabbed a washcloth and shoved it into his mouth to keep his moans muffled. The last thing we wanted was another Denzel incident.

I pulled down the annoying boxers and licked his hot length making him shudder in pleasure. Smirking up at him, I licked the head of his member before taking it into my mouth. With a few swallowing motions and a gag, I deep throated him making his legs tremble. Cloud leaned against the sink as I continued to work over his flesh and I continued to watch his face as he blushed in pleasure. One hand was busy jerking myself off, but the other came up and teased the flesh that I couldn't take in my mouth. His gripping my hair tightly was the only warning I got as he released in my mouth making me gag slightly. I swallowed most of it down before my own orgasm made me gasp and clench his hip tightly. He panted heavily over me, watching as I tried to get my own breathing under control. I patted his thigh and wiped my chin clean as I wobbled to my feet.

A few minutes later we and our bathroom were presentable and when we entered the bedroom I smiled at the sight of my babies snoozing away. Teioh had the habit of sleeping like his daddy, like a damn rock. Cloud pressed a kiss to my cheek before we crawled in with the kids. Feeling my presence, Revelation turned to snuggle into my chest and I stroked his short hair as I let sleep take me away.

* * *

"Dang it all, I hate Thanksgiving," I griped as I fought with the stupid turkey I was trying to cook.

Cloud was serving the kids their cereal as they watched the Kalm parade on our only television. He looked over at me with a smile of pity before turning his attention to Ana so that he could feed her. The little sweetheart already had her mouth open for the sugar laden stuff.

"You can wait until Tifa gets here for that," he stated as he heard me violently stabbing the dead bird. "It will spare you time and our kitchen from your mess."

I scowled at him, but he was right as usual.

"How much longer till they get here, yo?"

A shrug was my only response. Rolling my eyes, I tossed the cookbook back on the counter and stared at the mutilated bird. Yes, I still had anger issues, so what? Looking back over at the kids, I couldn't help but snort in amusement as Cloud watched the parade with as much enthusiasm as the kids did. Well, Ana was trying to get him to give her another spoonful but he was too engrossed in the parade to notice.

Walking over there, I pulled the cereal away from him and pulled Ana on my lap as I settled back on the rarely used couch. Everyone else was settled on the floor gaping in awe at the giant balloons. After I fed my little girl, she laid down on the soft cushions and sucked on her thumb while she watched the images on the television.

Not having anything better to do, I went upstairs and tried to make myself presentable. The hot shower did me good, easing the pain from my morning sickness. Once out of the tub, I began to comb through my wet hair. All of the crimson hair laid flat against my skull as I began attacking the knots. As the steam swirled around me, I felt a chill pass through my body. I slowly dropped the comb as I heard the sound of someone crying. Already, my body was on high alert, adrenaline pumping through my veins and my breath picking up its pace.

I pushed open the bathroom door and saw a huddled figure in the corner crying. Swallowing hard, I crept over to the figure who only seemed to cringe even more.

"A-are you ok?" I asked, my mouth dry.

When the figure looked up I covered my mouth to keep from screaming and puking at the same time. The woman had been sliced open by some kind of blade and was bleeding profusely.

"He killed me!" she screeched pointing at me. "HE KILLED ME!"

Turning around, I felt the embers of fire dance past my skin and I could see the silver-haired man turn to face me, with his bloody sword at the ready. Panic gripped me as I saw those red eyes stare at me with nothing but hatred.

"Do not interfere with me," he commanded harshly. "I must go about my mother's will."

I tried to close my eyes and block out what I was seeing, but only more images of carnage and destruction flashed before my eyes. Blood, death, horror, it all rained around me as I was helpless to do anything against it. I covered my ears in a sad attempt to shut out the screams, but I could still hear them ringing in my ears.

A shove to my shoulder made me jerk back and gasp in surprise. Rude was standing there giving me a worried look and I gasped to try to catch my breath. Everything seemed to be spinning around, so I sunk to my knees in an attempt to stop the horrid motion.

"Reno? What's wrong?" he asked me as he crouched next to me.

I felt his strong hand stroke my back in a comforting manner and I started to feel better. Resting my head against the soft carpet helped as well, so I weakly turned to look at him from the corner of my eye.

"I-it's just getting worse," I explained and he nodded.

"Those visions you've been seeing?"

"Yeah," I choked, looking over at the empty corner of my room. "Yeah, they're just coming more frequently and getting worse."

He continued rubbing my back until I got a hold of myself and when I did, he gave me a firm look.

"You really should tell Cloud about this," he stated firmly.

I shook my head and sighed.

"We're finally happy, partner. I'm not going to stress him out with my problems. He's had enough hurt."

He shook his head in disagreement, but kept quiet. I returned to the bathroom and finished cleaning up before coming out again. He was still standing at attention and I shook my head in amusement.

"Tch, think you'll get cooties from sitting on our bed?" I teased.

"I'd rather not take that chance."

"Ouch, man. Hey, who's here?"

Walking behind me as we made our way to the stairs, he answered.

"Rufus and the kids, Tseng, Elena, Yuffie, and the baby."

I shuddered just thinking about the fact that Rude and Yuffie were married. It still weirded me out on so many levels.

"You fucking robbed the cradle," I shot at him meanly.

"You did too," he replied.

"Ouch man, we don't have that many years between us. 'Sides, she was like, fucking sixteen when we first met up with her. Cloud was somewhere past twenty."

He just shook his head before he caught a glimpse of Yuffie tossing his baby girl in the air. With a horrified gasp, he sprinted over to remove the child from his wife's possession. I just snorted in amusement. At least she kept him on his toes.

"Heeyyyy! Renoooo!" she shrieked as she dropped the kid into Rude's arms and ran over to me. "You're looking really spiffy there!"

I looked down at my snug black slacks and my ironed white dress shirt and I shook my head.

"I'm not wearing anything much different then I usually wear, Yuffie," I stated bluntly. "They're just clean."

"Well it makes a huge difference!" she chirped along, dancing around me as I made my way to the kitchen.

Elena and Tseng rose their eyebrows at me as I came in trying to get the leech off of me. She was chatting away on how cute it was when the baby threw up on Rude's head and how easy it was to clean because he was bald. Laney saw my pleading eyes and decided to give me a hand.

"Hey, Yuffie, I hear that Cloud found a new awesome Summon Materia, but he's hiding it from you."

"WHAT?!" she shrieked before running off to search the house.

Cloud looked back at us and sighed, making sure that he was still equipped with his Materia. I pulled the other two Turks into a hug and we all shared a smile. It was good to just hang out with them when it didn't involve hunting down and killing people and things.

"Reno," I head a silky voice call from the living room.

Tseng allowed a rare smile and leaned close to whisper in my ear.

"He was born yesterday, and Rufus is pretty happy to show off the new addition to his family."

"Really?!" I squealed in a very unmanly way.

Hearing the good news, I ran over to the couch where Rufus was sitting with the bundle on his lap. He looked up at me with paternal pride and I couldn't help but smile in response.

"Can I see him?" I asked shyly, sitting next to my boss.

"Of course," he replied and pulled back a little of the blanket so I could see the newborn face.

A little mewl emerged as the little black creature blinked sleepily at me. It's golden eyes slid close again as he snuggled back into the soft covers protecting him.

"Awwww, he's so damn cute!" I whispered excitedly.

"Of course he is," Rufus snorted. "He's Dark Nation's clone, so it's obvious that he would be just as perfect.

He cuddled the cat like thing close to his chest, showing it more affection than he would show to most any human.

"Do the kids like him?" I asked, curious to find out how Victor and Josef felt about Dark Nation.

"They adore him as well," he stated proudly. "When I brought him home, they couldn't keep their eyes off of him. They even slept on my bed so that they could sleep with him."

I smiled widely as I rubbed him behind his dark ear. It was good to hear that they were managing this new addition well. It had been very difficult for them to adapt to their new way of life, but Rufus was a stubborn man and he worked with them until they finally came to accept him. I was actually nervous when I'd heard about the addition to the family because I didn't know if the twins were ready for that, but I was happy to be proven wrong.

"Speaking of the twins, where are they?"

"Oh, they went to play with Revelation and Teioh in the chocobo barn."

It was also good to see that even Rufus was beginning to settle down with the boys. A few months ago and he wouldn't even let them out of his sight. It seemed like all of us, except Yuffie, had grown up some. I kissed him on the cheek, making Cloud look back in annoyance. He was watching the chocobo show, "research" for the next most popular bird so that he could order some from Chocobo Bill.

Rufus grinned at him cruelly, and I rolled my eyes. Those two were so petty.

"Where's Vincent?" Cloud asked in retaliation.

Rufus's eyes narrowed as he answered back. "He's bringing the rest of the group over."

"Oh, is Shelke coming?" he pushed.

A cold smile accompanied the reply. "Of course."

"You two are a bunch of kids," I threw in for the heck of it.

They continued to glare at each other while I shook my head and went outside to make sure the kids were ok. The honking of a big ass horn caught my attention and I smiled as I saw Barret's huge truck. Tifa waved from the window and I waved back. Instead of going to check up on the kids, I waited up for the others to park. They all came out in a flare of curses, cheers, and other noise. Marlene ran and jumped on me making me laugh and Denzel ran over to me too. Cid was cursing about being cramped up in the back and Vincent was helping a small girl out of the truck. Although she looked to be about ten, I knew that Shelke was older than that. Unfortunately, she was never going to age.

"How are you doing, Reno?" Tifa asked as she called the kids to help her carry the food in.

"Well, I'm afraid that my turkey isn't going to make it," I sighed.

She just laughed and shook her head. "Don't worry, I brought a spare."

"Where's your boy toy?" I asked slyly making her swat me on the arm. Ouch.

"Zang is staying to watch the other orphans while I came out here."

Putting a bunch of food stuff in my arms she ushered me back into the house where everyone was chatting away. Tifa actually wasn't half bad when she wasn't obsessing over my lover. Thankfully, some unfortunate man named Zang had caught her eye and so she was now treating me like a human being. It was pretty nice.

As soon as I finished hauling all the food to the large kitchen, I headed back outside to check up on the kids. This time, I wasn't going to be distracted. As I rounded the corner of our house, the large corral full of contented chocobos came into view with the large sturdy barn in the background. I was careful to keep my distance away from the large birds lest they decide that my bright red hair would make a nice ornament for their nests. Again.

Bending over to tie my shoe, a sudden scream filled the air making my blood freeze. Terror shot through my body as I sprinted to where the kids were playing in the barn. When I got close enough, I saw that Revelation was on the ground with his leg twisted in an unnatural way. Teioh was screaming as he climbed down the ladder from the loft and Joseph and Victor just watched the scene in amusement.

"What did I tell you about getting up there?!" I screeched at the frightened boy, before looking down to check on Revelation's injury.

I winced as I saw the bone jutting out of his skin. Looking over him, I thought that he would be in shock or at least crying, but I swallowed nervously as I noticed that he wasn't doing anything of the sort. Instead, he was staring at the wound almost in amazement. His eyes slowly looked up into my own and I had to look away. My vision had come not too long ago and I wouldn't be able to look him in the eye for at least another few days.

"Look," he whispered to me. "It's blood."

"This is going to hurt," I warned as I covered his eyes from the gruesome wound and used my other hand to twist his leg back into place.

The sound of Teioh throwing up registered in my mind, but I needed to tend to Revelation first.

"Hey, Victor, take Teioh into the house and tell Cloud what happened. Do it quietly so that everyone's not freaking out."

The boy nodded and jumped down from the loft easily. His icy blue eyes were still too weak to handle full blown sunlight, so he wore dark sunglasses which only added to his strange aura. Josef jumped down from the loft as well, unharmed like his brother. He walked over to me with his now familiar jerking movements and watched as I applied pressure to the wound.

"Is he going to die?" Josef asked morbidly and I stared at him.

"Of course he's not going to die," I replied a little harsher than I intended to. "And if you want to make yourself useful, put your hands here on his leg too."

"This isn't really an option, is it?" Josef asked as he got down on his knees and applied pressure as well.

"No, it's not."

Revelation kept trying to peel my hand away from his eyes so that he could see the oozing blood, but I refused to budge. I didn't want him seeing something like this, more for my sake than his. It was just that seeing those visions had really gotten to me. I thought that they would just pass, but they hadn't. In fact, they were getting stronger. How much longer was I going to have to see those images before they drove me crazy?

"Reno, you should look at this," Josef said quietly.

Snapping back to reality, I looked as he peeled away his hand from the bloody wound and I gaped. The flesh was healing itself right before our eyes. Torn muscle was knit back together before the skin folded back onto itself, melding back into flawless skin. Pulling away my hand, I looked down to see the same thing, with the sound of crunching bones as it healed as well. Soon, there was nothing but blood smeared on his perfect pale flesh.

"I'm ok now," Revelation replied to no one in particular. He knew it without even having to see it. "Can I go back to playing?"

Before I could even reply, Cloud ran up to us with a really nervous look on his face. It soon became a look of confusion as he saw that there wasn't a wound at all.

"Reno, what-"

"It healed by itself," Josef said as he straightened up and stared at his bloody hands. "Can I get this cleaned up?"

Cloud handed us some rags and I cleaned up the leg only to watch dumbfounded as Revelation stood up, dusted himself off, and ran back to the house to find more playmates. Josef handed back the now-bloody rag and followed suit. I sat in the dirt looking at my clean palms, scared with what I saw.

"Are you ok?" Cloud asked softly as he sat next to me.

He was obviously as struck about this situation as I was, but he was trying to make me feel better.

"It just…healed."

I felt his hand stroke my cheek and he looked down at me sadly.

"Reno, he's not normal. He has a huge amount of Mako and Jenova cells in him so we shouldn't be surprised by something like this. Even you heal your own body because of Damnation. It's just like that."

He was only saying what was true, but it still hurt me. I wanted to continue imagining that everything was ok and normal with all of us, but that would never be true. None of us were remotely normal, and that wasn't going to change.

"Come on, Reno, let's go inside before people start to worry."

He kindly took me by the hand and led me to the house. I just used that time to gather my wits and shake those strange feelings away. I was just panicking a little because I saw some stupid vision. That didn't mean that it was true and that Revelation was going to turn out like his predecessor. He was a good boy, and I wouldn't ever let him do that. Cloud would never let him do such things either. My mind was just being an ass.

Entering into the loud house, my nerves were soothed by the sight of all of our friends laughing and talking. This could heal me, my sore heart. With a large smile I walked over to Rude and his six-month-old baby and held out my hands. Nodding, he handed her over to me. She looked up at me as she tried to eat her own fist. Her skin was dark like her Costan father, but she had her mother's Wutaiese eyes which made for an adorable combination. Also, she thankfully had a full head of hair. Well, not full, but enough hair for a small child.

I stroked the silky locks against her soft head remembering how Cloud tried to tell me that my kids were messed up because of their soft spots. Tch, that guy really didn't know a thing about babies but I was grateful that he was able to bring them back to me. Shaking my head, I rocked the girl a little and made a few cooing sounds to make her smile. I looked over at Cloud as her toothless smile sent a nice warm feeling to my stomach. He smiled back lovingly before Cid grabbed him by the arm and dragged him to a game of poker.

Hehehe, this was going to be good. Cid, Vincent, Cloud, Barret, Tseng, and Rude were all crammed around the table to play the card game. My new chip set was out on the table ready to be betted on by the men and I grinned widely. More than half of the guys playing never betrayed any emotion on their face for any reason, so the entire poker game was about trying to read under those masks. It always made for entertaining games, even if Cid was usually left cursing and throwing things around.

"An' none of you damn girls or boys come 'round!" Cid warned as Tseng delt the cards. "None of this cheating shit, got it?"

Everyone at the table chuckled remembering how that went last time. I just had to look at the cards and glance at Cloud and he would know what cards his opponents had. Of course, I occasionally had to help my partner too, but Rufus had been pissed with Valentine so he had only helped Tseng. And Yuffie jumped in and loudly tried to help Rude which ruined the entire thing. Ah, good times.

"You're just grouchy because you ain't got someone ta cheat with, yo."

"Piss off," he mumbled around his cigarette as he went through his cards.

I held baby Shamina up against my chest and made her hand wave to Rude before the game began making his poker face melt into a fatherly smile. He waved back and the girl giggled cutely. Darn, kids were adorable. Putting her on my bony hip, I headed to the kitchen where Tifa was preparing a bunch of good-looking food with Shelke.

* * *

After a small lunch, the kids finally convinced most of us adults to go outside and spar just so that they could see the fighting. It was refreshing to go into the windy outdoors and watch Cid duking it out with Cloud. Mmm, watching my kitten fight with that huge sword once again was almost a damn turn-on. He was too damn sexy for his own good. All the kids gaped in awe as the battle progressed into the use of a few low-level Materia.

Teioh crawled up into my lap and tugged on one of my red bangs as he watched the fight. I pulled him up against my stomach and he stuck his thumb in his mouth, still tugging my bang in a familiar manner. He liked to do that when he got on my lap, and although I didn't understand why, it was still cute. He was soon twirling that piece of hair around his sticky fingers.

"Willsh I be avll cho fightsh like tshat?" he asked me around his thumb.

"One of these days, kiddo. Just don't try ta rush it though; your daddy spent many years becoming that good."

Although that was a lie, it was a good way to keep the kid from trying to steal his father's sword and swinging it around until he hurt someone. His large blue eyes looked up at me in adoration and he nodded obediently. I stroked his dark hair, marveling at how the roots were changing colors. He was going blond a little late there.

"And I'm sure that your daddy will be glad to teach you once you get old enough."

"Really?!" he said in surprise.

When I nodded, he flashed me the brightest smile possible before snuggling back against my stomach. Hehehe, so that's where my genes went. To that fucking gorgeous smile. Looking back, I saw Vincent take center stage with Rude. I didn't even have to look back to know that Rufus was probably peeking through the blinds to watch the older ex-Turk. It was also kind of cute how Victor and Josef pretended not to watch their father fight.

As usual, his fighting style was pretty extreme, but he was always under perfect control. Rude used his usual manhandling fighting style, but since it was hard to pin the extremely flexible man, he resorted to using his Materia, his gun and his own special moves. Cloud sat next to me and Teioh clambered over to him yanking out a few of my hairs as well.

"Not bad," I poked at Cloud as he ran a hand through his hair.

"Oh shut it, Reno. You'd only do better because you're still out there kicking ass. I haven't had to swing that thing for months!"

"Excuses, excuses," I continued to tease, but he just slapped me in the back of the head lightly.

Not long after we gave the kids a show, they were out there doing reenactments with sticks and childish sound effects. Even Revelation was zooming around swinging away with his piece of wood. Rufus went out and warned his kids from playing too rough before he turned and went back inside. Out of all the kids, only his two really knew what a fight was about, and we didn't want them accidentally hurting the other kids. They had even been on the receiving end of some pretty heavy hits.

Watching Rufus limp back into the house with his new pet still wrapped in his arms, I let a frown settle on my lips. Every time I saw him walking it made guilt flood through me yet again. Although he had healed far better than anyone had expected, it was a fact that he was never going to walk without that darn limp. The neurological damage had been incredible, but it was only that bad because he had been left for dead for so long. Too much tissue had suffered for too long for him to have a full recovery. Never once did he blame me, but it never kept me from feeling guilty.

* * *

Dinner was absolutely to die for. The food covered the entire dining room table and trailed over to all of my counters. There were so many delicious looking dishes that were steaming, unaware of their fate and it made my mouth water. I was never going to doubt Tifa's cooking ability ever again.

We all went through the line, serving the kids first and sitting them at the collapsible table in the corner of the living room. It was cute to see the two Shinra boys sitting at the table, heads and shoulders above my kids. Although they were physically much bigger, they weren't that far ahead mentally. Besides, my kids were genius.

Once the kids were settled in, the rest of us dug into the feast like starving rabid animals. The turkey was stripped of its flesh in only a matter of minutes and the rest of the other food wasn't faring any better. When Reeve finally came in apologizing for being late, he was lucky that Tifa had pulled aside some food for him, or he would have starved. Sitting down anywhere available in the living room, all of us adults chatted away about shit until Elena waved her hand around for attention. As the room got silent, she looked at everyone with an open and soft smile.

"Hey, we should all take turns saying what we are thankful for." Everyone nodded and murmured in agreement and she decided to start it off for us. "There's really a whole bunch that I can say, but I'll just pick a few. First, I'm thankful that Reeve got this holiday passed a few years ago, just so that all of us could have a chance to come together like this. Second, I'm thankful for finally getting that darn wedding out of the way." Everyone laughed and Tseng shook his head, rubbing his wife's back in a rare show of affection. "Finally, I'm thankful for my family, my ever-growing family."

We all cheered and drank (cranberry shit of course) to her.

"Me next!" Yuffie shouted. "I'm thankful for my dad not killing Rude when he found out I was pregnant, and I'm thankful for Cloud always letting me have his Materia."

The blond choked and went straight for his pockets, making all of us laugh. He blushed at the attention and just nodded at Yuffie. I snorted in amusement as I heard the kids copying us on the other side of the room, being thankful for things like their new toys and for getting to stay up late sometimes. It was too cute, and just as honest as all of the answers around here were.

Each one of us was thankful for so much and was so happy to be sharing it with the entire group. It was kind of funny how enemies from years ago could now be sitting together sharing their feelings and eating a peace meal. I slipped my hand into Cloud's and he squeezed it comfortingly. Finally, it was me and Cloud's turn. He glanced at me and I nodded in understanding.

"Well, I'm thankful for the PLANET still being in one piece," he started making us all chuckle. "And I'm also thankful for getting another chance."

Although that was a bit vague, we all understood. It was something special to his heart to have had so many chances. In that statement, he was remembering Zack, Aerith, and he was also thanking all of us for helping him out. Also, he was being thankful for something that no one else here knew about. Well, at least not yet.

"I'm thankful for my job, my family, and the fact that those stupid chocobo's haven't torn me a new one yet." As everyone laughed at that, I smiled a little shyly and continued. "Oh, and I'm thankful that me and Cloud decided that we were going to have another kid, and do it right this time."

At first, there was a pause as everyone tried to soak in what I said before they all erupted with squeals of delight and congratulations. Elena tackled me and kissed my face already talking about naming the kid and other nonsense, but I smiled and just took it.

"Tch, guess you want some leave time," Rufus complained in his own special way of congratulating me.

Cloud was getting suffocated by Tifa and getting his back pounded on by well-wishers. Ouch, that was going to leave a mark. After the good news, we all decided to toast to the night, to the awesome day we had, and to the future of the PLANET. We just figured that if Cloud's spawn kept increasing in number, the PLANET would always be safe from threats.

Although my life was far from perfect, I had too much to be thankful for. I was supposed to have been dead in a ditch somewhere by thirteen, but here I was with my own family and friends. It made me a little sad that my mother still didn't want to accept my relationship and kids, but I didn't let that bring me down. There was too much good now to worry about such things. As I took my own plastic cup of sparkling grape juice, I couldn't help the grin that spread across my face.

"CHEERS!"

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Hot steaming air tried to weigh down the searching young man as he fought through the Mideel forests. Swarms of bugs tried to taste his flawless flesh as he brushed past, his eyes narrowed in concentration. He needed to find it, to heed its calling.

A kelzmelzer lunged at him with its poisonous claws, only to be impaled on his sharp blade. He didn't have time for these damn creatures that found the need to harass him. Hissing in annoyance, he pushed out his aura, creating a warning sign that even the bugs feared. He was not someone to mess with.

Lizards scurried away as the sound of his boots crushing the vegetation filled the still air, and even other insects tried to bury themselves further into the dirt to avoid his wrath. Gloved fingers tightened around the weak sword in his hand as he effortlessly hacked away through even more of the overgrown vines and weeds. Wait, he was getting closer. His breaths came out in little puffs as he increased his speed, tearing through the jungle in a frenzy. He was almost there, just a little further…

Jerking to a halt, his narrowed eyes glanced at the ruins decaying in front of him. The vegetation had been trying to tear the stones apart with their powerful tendrils, but it had withstood. It was a towering building, but strange how one couldn't see it above the trees from a distance. Almost, like, it couldn't be found unless you knew where it was. The sound of wind blowing seemed to beckon him forward into the dark mouth of the temple, but he paused warily as he realized that there was no wind blowing. Shaking his head, he continued forward. He would just cut down anything in his way.

Naturally, the sense of foreboding increased the further he got into the stone tomb, but it was pushed aside by that sweet melodic calling. Like a siren calling to the doomed sailors, it was pulling him into the depths of the darkness. It whispered hotly in his ear as he marched forward, begging him to find it.

The first few booby traps were easily disarmed, and the few after that were easy enough to traverse through. Behind the young man, the poisonous darts were strewn across the cold moldy stone, dashed to pieces by his quivering blade. With a flick of the sharp metal, the poison splattered against the wall like the blood of some unfortunate enemy.

Huffing in annoyance and impatience, he continued through the ruins, only sparing a glance at the painted walls. As usual, the paintings portrayed destruction raining down on the people, but none of them gave a hint as to what he was looking for. Regardless, he pushed on. He wouldn't even rest until he found it.

Time seemed to pass by quickly as he went further and further into the belly of the temple. Was it hours or even days that he spent searching? There were countless rooms full of immeasurable wealth, but none of the gold or jewels could even tempt his eyes as he pressed forward. The force calling to him was stronger than ever, begging to be freed from its confines and he was more than willing to oblige if he could just find it.

"Fuck!" he cursed as his sword began to crack under the strain of cutting through obstacles and repelling projectiles.

Angrily shattering the blade against a nearby wall, he pulled out his spare weapon and proceeded to the large door before him. Blood painted its frames and provided the ink for the warning that was written upon it. Although he couldn't read it, the young man felt his heart leap as he recognized it as a threat to all who would dare enter. Skulls lined the walls, piling high on either side and it only made him smile wider. This had to be it.

Kicking a pile of the ancient heads to the side, he soon found the switch he was looking for. Pressing it, the entire room seemed to shake and shudder, groaning as the massive door that had been locked for countless ages finally grinded open. As expected a burst of salt acid shot out as a final deterrent to any fool who dared come this far, but a flick of his hand was enough to put up a timely barrier.

As he entered within, an unearthly flame shot around the room, illuminating the chamber brightly. Sitting in the midst of the room was a large stone idol complete with jewels as eyes and heavy metal swords clasped in its hands. Strangely enough, it looked more like a Wutain god than a Mideel one. Regardless, he could see a small door behind the behemoth idol, and he headed straight for it.

The scream of stone grinding on stone echoed in the wall and the warrior stepped back with wide eyes as what he had assumed was an idol stood to its feet and bared its weapon's in a most threatening manner.

"Shit, they went all out, didn't they," he complimented, eyes burning with the lust of a challenge.

It may have taken him by surprise, but it wasn't going to win. Nothing could defeat him, not even some ancient magical protector. Straightening out, he saluted it in respect with his thin blade before he launched an assault. The shriek of metal striking metal bounced off the walls, hurting the young man's sensitive ears as he struck at the beast. It was fast for something made of heavy boulders, and its strength was as expected. Phenomenal.

Even with such odds against him, the young man fought back. He was certain that he could defeat this thing, but he began to worry as his blade suffered from the severe strain. It wasn't as strong as he was, a source of endless irritation for him, and a time like this was not the best for breaking on him. As the thought of magic entered his mind, he sensed something coming down on him.

Jumping back from the stone idol, he narrowly dodged a giant boulder. He looked up to see hundreds of boulders on the ceiling, ready to fall loose with all of the shaking from the room. Damn, the natives were smart. If he didn't finish this thing off quickly, he was going to be buried under all of them.

It seemed like the strange creature sensed what he sensed and it began to howl with a ferocious and hellish voice. The entire chamber trembled at the sound and the warrior collapsed on the ground with his hands covering his ears. It was too loud, he couldn't take it!

Even under that pain, his body screamed for him to move as yet another boulder fell from the ceiling. It was either burst eardrums or crushed body. Not really a hard decision, but it took him a fraction of a second too long to move. The giant stone crashed to the stone floor before rebounding a little from the impact. The bounce came in contact with the young man's side, breaking the bones of his arm and side. Wincing in pain, he dodged another falling rock only to have to dive under the creature as it swung its massive sword at his neck.

"Fuck!"

His fighting arm was worthless as it hung limply and it only added to his disadvantages. Both ears were ringing and he could feel a trickle of blood trailing down his neck, but he didn't have time to bemoan his predicament. He needed to win. To be more accurate, he refused to lose. Stubbornness flashed in his unnatural eyes as he took his blade with his weak arm and attacked the creature with a flurry of swipes. It blocked the attacks easily and flung him up against the hard wall.

A new roar filled the room as all the boulders gave in to gravity and crumbled to the ground. As they began to fall down, a strange new feeling began to pump through him. Everything slowed down as his mind began to run in overdrive. Suddenly, everything seemed so clear to him, so unbelievably obvious. Bracing himself against the wall, he launched himself to the beast and with his outstretched hand he summoned a powerful surge of energy. The moment his gloved hand touched that stony torso, it shattered like fragile glass. There was nothing but that door between him and salvation and it would not stand.

The loud crash blew out his good eardrum and he collapsed on the floor, dizziness washing over him. Pain wracked his body as he shuddered on the cold floor. Looking back, he saw the only exit in the room completely blocked by massive boulders. A soothing feeling ran over him body making him turn his glance over to the center of the room. Surrounded by a boiling ring of vermilion acid, a single pedestal rose up with outstretched arms. On top of the stony cradle rested the most beautiful thing that he had ever seen in his short life.

Pushing himself to his feet, the young man tried to find a way to get to the prize, the very thing that he had been suffering for. He was standing on the only footing that the room offered; everything else was covered in the acid. No, he hadn't come this far just to be stopped by a river of liquid death. It would not end like this!

Desire, need for it, those feelings tugged at his mind as he stared. The delicate curves, the smooth flawless length, he needed it. Finally seeing it, resting there peacefully, was enough to bring tears to his eyes. How long had he heard its cries, its summons for him to claim it?

"I got you now, you will be mine."

Stretching out his good hand, he stepped out into the acid. For some reason, he wasn't scared at all. He didn't doubt that he could get to his prize, even though any sane person should have. For crying out loud, he was recklessly stepping into acid! However, that voice in the back of his head told him that he would be just fine, and he believed it.

The heavy black boots touched the boiling liquid, but there was no sizzling and no corrosive action. Only a soft splash. Step by step, he made his way to the center of the room, completely ignoring his injuries. His thick blood dripped into the acid, hissing as the two substances collided.

Finally, there it was, right in his grasp. Pulling off his glove and tossing it carelessly into the acid, he forced his injured hand to wrap around the beautifully decorated hilt. As soon as he touched it, the young man sighed in relief.

"My Masamune," he purred, finally feeling complete. "I have finally earned you."

Power, strange but welcomed power, surged through him. Turning around to face the sealed off exit, it no longer looked like he was going to be stuck here forever. Crimson eyes shone with excitement as he swung the unnatural sword. With a hiss through the air the blade sliced right through the stone without even chipping.

"I apologize for taking so long," he spoke softly as he brushed back his silver bangs. "I hope you are ready to feel some fresh air once more."

The crack of his bones healing themselves was drowned out by the crashing sound of boulders being torn apart by both the wielder and the weapon. Nothing withstood their assault as the easily made their way back to the exit. It was exhilarating for him to finally have a blade that was as strong as he, one that he would never replace, one that would give him far more strength than even his father had. Stepping out into the sunlight, Revelation took a deep breath of the heavy scented air and watched as the light reflected off of the flawless metal. Gripping it tightly a sharp smile caressed his lips.

"Taste freedom, my friend."

**-sniff sniff- Well, there it is! I hope that you all have enjoyed reading this story as much as I have enjoyed writing it. I couldn't help but add some angst and suspension to the epiloge, so I do apologize if that makes you exasperated. Sorry! With over 20,000 hits and over 130 reviews, this has by far been my most successful story and I thank you all for it. Thank you for your patience and all your kind supportive words. If you are interested in knowing, I have decided to hold off my retirement for fanfiction until the end of the year so that I could write one more Final Fantasy VII one-shot and a few Death Note fics. **

**Thank you goes to all those who reviewed: ****XxFuFuxX, ** **Corina, EvanNJames, DontforgetRoxas, Cloudywolf15, raikouinazuma, Mel, chichi167, Living in a fantasy, yuki hibiki, Masked Lover, Elfanyan, Kinzoko, VampireChildofDarkness, Rei, Cloudywolf15, Dum-de-da, Fallen-Yuki, Bekas Strife, Lady Lessien, Chibi-chibi-kun, YaoiFanatic2, lioness78, TsuyuNeko, blinkblinksmile, shonen ai fanatic 14, boylover55, Kobacha-Chan, Lemon Wine, blackcat686, rainonme2, hittocerebattosai, Namesake, Medicca, paleconsequences, zeppelin13, Akushiro, Kayana, XxRoadKillxX, Rachel07, neldluva, Kigichi, Medicca, What2callmyself, misumisu84, CupCake-SweetTreats, robette, SoarMoreFlyHigher, chibibunny-chan, Heather. V. Snape, Lola, Lilith Lunatic, Pheonix D. Tally, J., Minoa, d0rkgoddess, gothicgirl2.0, Sisters-Of-Doom, Divanora, Neenaw, Chibi-Daisuke-Chan, HidanLuver107, trabeck, writers are INSANE, xFairy-of-Twilightx, spiritbird, Meemei. **

**Every single one of your reviews helped me push through this story and have given me some of the best compliments I have ever received. I wish you all well, and lot's of yummy yaoi! For the last time on this story, please review!  
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